Deep Down
by The Humbug
Summary: Disclaimer: “Kim Possible” and all characters within © The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other i
1. Chapter 1

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter I Between A Rock And A Hot Plate

She ran as if her life depended on it. Her calves burned, her breath came in hot, ragged gasps from her chest. Run, run and don't slow down, never stop, never stop...

"Faster, Mommy! Faster!" cried young Kasy Ann Possible.

"Wheelie, please, Mommy?" asked her fraternal twin sister, Sheki Go Possible.

"This is Red Leader to base, we are ready for our attack run!" huffed Kimberly 'Kim' Possible, former world-saver (semi-retired) and mother of the two little girls.

She made a slight change in her direction, running towards the curb at the end of the sidewalk. She pushed down on the handle of the double-stroller, lifting the front wheels several inches off the ground. This alone made both children scream with delight.

"Prepare for hyperactive speed!" Kim cried, making the stroller take an extra high bounce as it left the curb. Her shock of red hair was flowing behind her head except for what was sticking to her neck, damp with sweat.

"Wheeeeeee!"

The stroller returned to earth after its flight (duration 2.3 seconds) with a resounding thud. The extra-strength shock absorbers took almost all of the impact, but not so much that the little girls didn't scream with joy and excitement. The stroller had been a gift to the girls on their 1st birthday, a marvel of engineering by a good friend of Kim's whose abilities were more geared to the world of computers. Both children could sit comfortably beside each other; the suspension, wheelbase and extended handle had been designed to allow Kim full freedom of motion when she took the girls with her on Kim's morning run.

Already an extremely fit and healthy young woman, once used to strenuous activity but now having settled down to a far less dangerous lifestyle, Kim Possible looked forward to her morning run each day. She yearned sometimes for the old days and secretly feared that she would become weak and useless before her time. Her family was her life, but even with their love what else did she have to show for herself? So, irrationally convinced that her endurance and fighting readiness were fading, Kim literally hit the ground running each morning. It also gave her more time with her children.

Kim eventually ran into a familiar cul-de-sac and right up the walkway of her home. It was a non-descript structure, large enough for her active children but by no means the largest house on their block. There were flowerboxes (Kim's personal touch) on the front porch and plenty of toys in the yard. Instead of going to the front door, Kim finished her jog at the side gate of her back yard. Like many families, while the front door was for more formal use, there was another door that they preferred.

Kim rolled her giggling daughters into the back yard. She tousled their hair and led them into the kitchen for breakfast. I was almost 7:00 AM on a warm summer morning. After several grueling weeks of making up for missed class work, Kim had granted herself a nice long vacation away from her collegiate studies. Having been forced into young motherhood as a result of an evil genius' plan to ruin her world-saving career, the unexpected pregnancy and eventual birth of her daughters had earned Kim a level of maturity beyond her years. While still in her late teens, the 'girl who could do anything' had indeed done quite a lot in her young life. Some of those things had not been without hardship and pain, but she also had more than enough love in her life to compensate.

As the three women entered the kitchen, they were greeted by the fourth member of their happy home. The warmth and affection that Kim felt for this person was slightly shadowed, just like a hand cupped round a candle flame, by a vague pang of sadness. Once fierce enemies, they had often fought to a standstill over criminal activity: one to commit, one to prevent. After years of refusing to accept the possibility of feeling intimate love for another woman, Kim had eventually accepted the other woman's subtle advances and reciprocated with the same degree of love and affection.

Not to mention the really great sex.

Shego was seated at the table, adding creamer to her coffee. She still couldn't trust Kim to make it properly. Shego was just a few years older than Kim, barely enough that you would notice the difference in their ages. But the differences ran deeper than that. With the blessings of their respective families, they had become spouses in marriage and parents to their children. It was Shego's DNA, mixed with a retrovirus, that caused Kim become pregnant and to carry their two healthy children to full term. It was this event that bonded them together, heart and soul, forever.

While Kim still carried a trim, athletic build, Shego was more muscular, giving her feminine curves greater definition. Shego was also a few inches taller, had long, flowing black hair unlike Kim's shorter red tresses, and her skin was a very pale whitish-green compared to Kim's peach skin tones. Add to this the ability to convert sunlight into a plasma field that radiated from her hands and you couldn't have two more apparently different people.

Sheki and Kasy ran around Shego, hugging her long legs and screaming, "Momma's up, momma's up...!" Kneeling down to plant a gentle kiss on their foreheads, Shego let the girls make their chaotic way to the playroom before breakfast was made.

The two little girls were an ironic reflection of Kim and Shego themselves. Kasy was the more boisterous and adventurous of the two, gravitating towards mud pies and wearing jeans and t-shirts. Sheki, on the other hand tended to hang back and observe, only becoming involved after careful assessment of a situation. She also preferred to wear very feminine items, like dresses with ribbons.

In addition, the children's hair color mimicked that of their parents: Kasy's was fiery red and Sheki's was deeply black. The one feature that they shared was the same pale green skin that Shego had, and also Shego's ability to generate produce plasma fields, albeit very weak due to their youth. Kim would be lying if she said that this didn't occasionally make her feel like an outsider, regardless to Shego's frequent assertions to the contrary.

"Damn, princess, hot and sweaty... how did you know what I wanted for breakfast?" Shego embraced Kim and they shared their own special kiss, Kim gently wrapping herself in Shego's long hair.

"When do you have to leave? Can I chase you around the sack for awhile?" Kim asked. Kim ended the embrace with a quick squeeze of Shego's firm bottom.

Normally the more aggressive half of their relationship, Shego was pleasantly surprised whenever Kim took a more assertive role in their love life. While by no means submissive, Kim was often more than happy to let Shego take control. Positions of dominance made Shego feel more comfortable. Kim had known this long ago.

"No can do, Kimmie. I could be contacted any second. I've been kept on immediate 'stand-by' with Global Justice for days." Kim didn't care for this answer, and made to argue, but Shego raised a preemptive hand to ward off Kim's forthcoming questions.

"And you know that I can't elaborate. If you can put up with this for just a little while longer, I'll let you do whatever you want with me." Not being able to make a substantive verbal reprisal, Kim's gaze never wavered as she reached down and touched Shego there, and there...

Shego broke into a broad grin. "You are feisty this morning! Well, maybe we can do something before I have to go." They separated and Kim began to collect the items she would need to fix their morning meal.

"Are you making eggs today?" Shego asked. She was already dressed for 'work', having become a part-time freelancer for Global Justice to fill the void left by Kim's absence. Other than a few slight modifications added by Global Justice, Shego's traditional green and black uniform had changed little over time.

"Girls!" Kim called, "To the table!" She had just set the egg carton on the counter. "Yes, I'm making 'Eggs Drakken' and once I chop and add the green peppers, I'm going to RULE THE WORLD!" Kim turned around and adopted the classic pose of a maniacal tyrant, her hands raised skyward.

"Rulla world, rulla world!" Kasy and Sheki agreed as they ran to their chairs.

"Boy, all of my girls are feeling their oats today" Shego observed. "Maybe I should ask 'GJ' for some time off." She was eyeing Kim's running shorts with distaste, wishing that they were down on the floor instead of covering Kim's posterior.

As she lightly scrambled the eggs, Kim watched her family at the table. Shego was helping the children with their cereal. Kim smiled, thinking that this was a far cry from the woman who was once a much-hated enemy. There was a time when Kim only saw Shego smile when certain death was about to befall the young heroine. Now here she was, laughing and playing with her (their) daughters, making funny faces to amuse them, and even going so far as to make the salt and pepper shakers perform a song-and-dance routine.

Making sure that their daughters were focused on eating, Kim struck a much more seductive pose and sauntered over to Shego. She stood quietly behind her spouse and reached from behind to gently cup Shego's face in her hands. While no words were spoken, Shego turned her head so that she could brush her lips across Kim's palm, then wrist, turning her head even further around to lick at Kim's inner elbow...

At that moment, the latest version of the 'Kimmunicator' chirped loudly, prompting a resigned look from Shego and a disappointed look from Kim. The children kept eating.

"Oopsie, it's the 'Shegophone'!" Kim's new term for the communication devise elicited a mild snarl from Shego. Holding the device close to her ear, Shego took the call. "Yes, I'm here. Yes, I... yes... no, I didn't... I said that she doesn't... I'll be right there."

Setting a plate of eggs on toast in front of Shego, Kim said, "Let me guess... you are to report immediately and not disclose any details of your mission to a certain civilian that will remain nameless. Am I right?"

Shego stood and gulped down her breakfast. "I confess to being more than a little P-I-S-S-E-D at the way that one-eyed wench has written you off. I remember when you used to be able to whip anyone, except me, of course, any day of the week."

'Used to be able'...This comment surprised Kim, but she didn't allow herself to feel hurt. Hadn't she been thinking along those very same lines lately? Shego felt nothing but love and respect for her younger bride, but still the words stung Kim.

"They don't think I could handle saving the world any more? Fine with me. You three are my whole world now." Who was Kim hoping to convince, Shego or herself?

Shego moved to embrace Kim. "You are my world. You rock my world..." Shego made a subtle thrust with her hip into Kim's lower pelvis and wrapped her strong arms around the young redhead in a bear hug so tight that Kim was lifted from the floor and had to fight for breath. Shego bent close and whispered, "Your fire fills the cold, dead space at the center of my heart."

"Do you remember how often I threatened to lock you away in an ivory tower?" Shego reminded her bride, "If I could, I'd hide you away where the world would never find you. I'd never have to share you with anyone."

"If you had your way, I'd never be free."

"But I've won. I have you were I want you. You can't leave me."

"Right; you have me and I'll never leave you. That means that I have you right where I want you." Kim buried her face in Shego's neck and nuzzled.

Global Justice could wait; the women stayed locked in each other's arms for several seconds. Then, being the first to break the contact, Shego chose to make one of her traditionally quirky remarks "I guess I should be happy keeping you in the kitchen. How does 'barefoot and pregnant' sound to you?"

"Didn't know you had a foot fetish." Kim shot back, a rosy flush covering her cheeks. "As for pregnant, we'll talk about that some other time. Maybe your old buddy Dr. Drakken still has some 'Shego Cocktail' brewed somewhere, but as I recall the next baby is to be yours."

Shego grinned. Other than a few weekly sparing sessions, this was as close to 'the old days' as they came to fighting. She gave Kim one last kiss and also gave a big smooch to each of their children. "Later, Princess. I'll do my best to be home for dinner. If the kids are already asleep when I get home, don't wear anything... complicated." And then she was gone in a green and black rush. It wasn't more than a few heartbeats before Kim was already missing her.

Kim sighed and took a bite of her own egg, accidentally spilling some runny yoke on her shirt. Meanwhile, the children had discovered the fun to be had from drinking from the 'wrong side' of their glasses.

To Be Continued... 


	2. Chapter 2

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter II Attack Of The Troglodytes

Her recent doubts about her present and future aside, Kim didn't let her personal concerns interfere with keeping house. She took her role as 'domestic goddess' very seriously. Rooms were cleaned, bills paid, children cleaned, and occasionally Kim logged into her website to check her messages.

At one time, her website, as well as her original 'Kimmunicator', were the best way to receive notification of an impending worldwide disaster. The site, however, had long since been reduced to an archive of media articles and testimonials from Kim's past exploits. From time to time, friends and acquaintances would leave her messages. Today there was nothing.

No matter, thought Kim. She returned to her chores and her thoughts strayed to what the ideal kindergarten would be for her children. She had heard rumors of a place in Westchester County, New York that might be worth looking into. Carrying her laundry through the living room, Kim turned on the television to catch the mid-morning news for some background noise.

"...rupt this program for a live feed from our affiliate in Middleton. Terry, tell us what's happening out there."

"Well, Margo, it seems that a group of unknown assailants have stolen a stockpile of weapons and munitions from the Middleton Armory. It is not know at this time if this is the work of terrorists, but the assailants were first observed moving around inside the high-security area with no evidence as to how they breached the perimeter. There appears to be a large section of disturbed earth, leading officials to believe that the assailants may have tunneled their way up through the ground. We have a camera standing by and can show some of the scenes from outside the perimeter. I have to advise our viewers that the image is a little grainy and we cannot be sure if anyone inside is living or dead..."

Kim's attention was riveted on the screen. Dollars to doughnuts, she'd bet money that this was the emergency that Shego had been summoned to deal with.

An image appeared on the television screen, overexposed in the harsh glare of late morning sunlight. Typical army base, Kim thought. Quonset huts, munitions depots, motor pool, large open pit surrounded by dark mounds of fresh earth...Huh?

Suddenly, there was movement. Dark figures were running from the huts and garages. They looked small. Were they midgets? They were apparently making their way towards the open pit, but for the most part none of them were moving in a straight line. They almost seemed to be running about in apparent confusion. They were either wrapped in dark rags or whatever it was they were wearing was so tattered and filthy as to make them appear almost bestial. Most of the figures dragged or carried boxes with them; probably weapons, Kim guessed.

Then, Kim saw Shego.

In the video transmission Shego could be seen moving everywhere at once. She was keeping her distance from the weird, little creatures, but instead of fighting hand-to-hand Shego was throwing super-heated plasma bolts. Whenever she struck a direct hit, the dark, ragged things went flying head over heels. From the video image, it appeared to Kim as if the creatures would regroup just long enough to collect fallen comrades, leaving their stolen prizes where they had landed on the grass. If this was supposed to be a weapons theft, it was certainly a strangely executed one.

After what was only a few seconds of real time, all of the creatures had managed to climb (or fall) down into the earthen pit. With both hands blazing, Shego made as if to follow them, but hung back, apparently wondering if the true threat was over or if she should pursue. At that moment, some unknown force caused the television camera to pitch wildly. When the image finally stabilized, the pit had collapsed slightly and an expanding cloud of dirt obscured any sign of Shego

Kim had sunk down into a seated position on the floor. Her heart felt dead and her blood seemed frozen in her veins. Kim wondered what was making the picture get so blurry, then she realized that here eyes were tearing up.

"Once the base was considered safe, the authorities discovered that base personnel were alive and unharmed, but had been rendered unconscious by some unknown means. Amazingly, there were no casualties and very few wounded. Those rendered unconscious responded to medical treatment immediately. Several cases of grenades and disposable rocket launchers were missing. There were no bodies left at the scene of these mysterious beings, and the fate of an unnamed government law enforcement agent remains unknown..."

The house was silent. In the washroom, the dryer made an occasional ticking noise as the metal cooled after having run a load of clothes. Kim slowly reached for the remote control and turned the television set off. An empty husk in the shape of Kim Possible sat crumpled in a heap on her living room floor, staring at a blank screen. She stayed like that for several moments. Then she heard her children playing in the back yard, maybe on the swings or in the sand box.

Their children. Kim rose to her feet and walked to the telephone where she made two quick calls.

"Mom, this is Kim. Yes, I was... I was watching. I need to go. May I bring the girls over to stay with you? Thank you. I'll be there very shortly."

"Wade, this is Kim. No, I know you don't know any details yet. Yes, I know that I've been out of the game. Just tell the authorities on the scene that I'm on my way. Please do this for me, Wade. Thank you."

Kim ran up to her (their) bedroom, taking three stairs at a time. She reached into the closet and found a hanger that she hardly ever glanced at anymore. Onto her (their) bed she laid out a slightly worn, but otherwise intact, outfit of clothes. Specifically, one pair of cargo utility pants and one reinforced Kevlar weave t-shirt. Her high-traction, impact resistant footwear was already on her feet from that morning's run; she could never have found a better pair of running shoes.

In less than half of an hour, Kim was attempting to explain her presence to the Military Police posted at the armory gates. Without her own 'Kimmunicator', Kim didn't have the luxury of contacting Global Justice to obtain the proper credentials. Even her old friend Wade, now himself an agent in training with Global Justice, no longer ad free-reign to assist her.

Kim was becoming desperate to gain access and assist in the search for Shego. Fortunately, help quickly arrived in an unexpected form.

"Officer, I am Special Agent Du, Will Du of Global Justice. Here is my identification. I will be overseeing operations from this point forward, and I will take care of Ms. Possible."

Kim had turned at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. Will had changed very little since she had lasted worked with him. Already superior and a little smug for such a young man, Will carried himself with a presence of someone twice his age. Kim was surprised to see a few wrinkles around Will's eyes, giving his face a slightly softer look. More than that, she was shocked to see him smiling.

"Ms. Possible... Kim. It's very good to see you again, although not under these circumstances. Please, follow me. I've been given full authority to brief you on the situation here and can assure of our support. Now, I'm sure you're more than a little anxious to get started, but we do need to talk first."

Kim was startled at this unexpected development. She was anxious, sure, and that was only after her decision to take personal action had calmed her down from the edge of near-hysteria.

As if sensing her doubt, Will extended his hand. "Please, while there is hope." Kim took a deep breath and accepted the preferred hand. The cloud over her heart lifted slightly. She was going to find and save her lover, no matter what the cost.

The base of operations was simply the Quonset hut closest to the collapsed pit. 'GJ' technical specialists and agents were working at some pretty elaborate monitoring equipment. Kim was puzzled when she recognized most of the equipment as being used to measure seismic disturbances. Agent Du led her to a small office furnished with only the standard military issue desks and chairs, but also a 'GJ' communication transmitter. The device was already activated, and a familiar face greeted Kim as she entered the room.

"Kimberly, since I doubt that we have time for pleasantries, let's commence the briefing, shall we?" The strong and clipped voice of Dr. Director, chief administrator of Global Justice, was only slightly distorted by the transmitter.

"Yes, please, Dr. Director. I'd like to get started 'ASAP'." Kim perched herself atop a desk while Will Du remained standing.

"First, I am compelled to congratulate you on the success of your personal life since leaving full time active duty as 'world saver'. You were" (Kim winced inwardly at the use of the word were) "a major source of inspiration to many of our younger, female agents. Not to mention how proud we all were (wince) of your accomplishments and the immense debt of gratitude Global Justice, indeed, the entire World, owes you."

At one time, Kim would have responded with 'No Big', but her heart was occupied solely with the prospect of saving Shego. Instead, she nodded her head and said nothing.

Noting the preoccupation on Kim's face, Dr. Director continued. "The situation is as follows... for the past several weeks, Global Justice has been investigating thefts of weaponry by unknown forces who have gained access to the various storage facilities by means of traveling underground. After the first few events, we've had our agents, including Shego, on constant standby. They were to report to wherever the next theft would take place. We've been using seismic monitoring sensors in an attempt to alert us of the next event. Apparently, we were right to have done so."

"Shego never told me about any of this" Kim said softly, more to herself than to anyone else.

"And she was absolutely right not to. Technically you are a civilian and this was a matter of top security." Not wanting to upset or offend the younger woman, Dr. Director temporarily lowered her military bearing and spoke in tones that expressed genuine empathy. "Kimberly, it's only because of our trust and faith in you and your abilities that we were are able to bend the rules and be meeting like this at all. You are not the brash cheerleader you once were. You have become something so much better. You have become a wife and mother, and apparently perfect at being both, or so Shego would have me believe."

Hearing these words brought tears to Kim's eyes. Then the deeper meaning of what was just said sank into her consciousness.

"You mean, Shego talks about me... about our home life... to you?" Kim would never have imagined Shego actually sharing personal information like that with anybody; Shego was fiercely private about her feelings and about her love with Kim.

"Well, of course she does, dear girl! Not exactly around the water cooler or anything like that, but she's always saying how proud she is of you. You are the most important thing in her life." Dr. Directors single good eye seemed to look into the center of Kim's brain. "Did you have reason to doubt this?"

Again, Kim had nothing to say. The mix of love she felt for Shego and the disgust she felt at herself or her recent feelings of worthlessness gave her firm resolve to see this matter through successfully. She would not fail.

As if sensing this, Dr. Director resumed control of the briefing.

"Special Agent Du, please outfit Acting Agent Possible with her equipment. We've wasted enough time as it is. Kimberly, good fortune and Godspeed." With that, the communications receiver deactivated.

Will Du moved from where he had been hovering near the wall and motioned Kim to following him from the office. They walked to a table loaded with various tools and harnesses. And something that looked like a rocket-powered surfboard.

"Kim, the challenge is not that we don't know where Shego is, but we have no easy way to get down to her." Will held a computer printout to Kim. It appeared to be an aerial representation of the base. There was a large black 'X' marked in the vicinity of the motor pool. There was also a smaller green 'x' several hundred yards to he east.

"The black mark represents the pit, and the green mark is Shego's location. All 'GJ' agents are fitted with a tracking emitter in their field uniforms."

Like a magician practicing legerdemain, Will produced a tiny silver button and clipped it to Kim's collar. "Now we'll be able to monitor you as well."

Will gestured to several technicians waiting around them. The 'techs' closed in on Kim and they were finished with her so fast that she hadn't even reacted to their presence.

"You are now outfitted with an infrared imaging viewer, climbing gear, wrist compass with chronometer, water-purification tablets and several days worth of protein concentrates." Will let Kim take a moment to inspect the gear herself and familiarize herself with it's operation. He was pleasantly surprised to see how efficiently she did so. Will had little doubt in Kim's competence.

"Now, let me show you this..." Will led Kim over to the 'surfboard'. It was indeed a reinforced fiberglass board, with a small nozzle fitted at the aft end for thrust.

"Since the earth around the pit is so loose, the entire thing could totally collapse at any time or at the slightly disturbance. To that end, we propose that you will 'surf' down the tunnel at a high rate of speed, using the naturally existing contours of the loose soil. You will surface the same way."

Even under the current situation, Kim had to marvel at the ingenuity in developing such a device. "Is this as hydro... um, aero... no, wait... 'geodynamic' as it looks?"

"Very. In fact, Dr. Director personally tested it herself a few months ago when she took a recreational leave of absence." Will's eyes lost some of their focus and adopted a wistful look.

Kim pointed to something written on the underside of the board. "Was it she that stenciled 'Moon Doggie' here?" This question generated a few muffled snickers from the technicians, causing Will to snap to attention. "Hm, I don't seem to recall..."

If anything, this brief moment of levity made Kim acknowledge that he had hope of her success. A few minor adjustments and system checks later, Kim was escorted to the pit. The dark, loose earth was raggedly piled around the opening. Looking down the length of the angled decent, Kim wondered of Shego could see the light from the hole in whatever dank cave she'd become trapped in. Kim shuddered and prepared herself to use the board as the 'techs' had shown her.

"Two questions, and then I'd better be going" Kim said. Will waited respectfully for her to finish. "You gave me water-purification tablets, but no water. Also, what about weapons? Those little critters I watched on the news report didn't even see human. What do I do if I run into any?"

"As for water, the assailants are using an ancient system of caves that were originally carved from the living rock by the passage of water. You should find plenty of it already down there. As for weapons, the wrist compass has a stunner like the one I used on your friend Ron several years ago." Will smiled at that memory.

"You should be able to stand up to just about anything down there. But, Kim" Will reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, "please remember that this is a rescue mission, not a counter-attack. You are to locate Shego and then return to the surface immediately. We have outfitted you with supplies and equipment just in case the 'Moon Doggie' (Will's quick glare stifled the giggles of a nearby technician) fails to bring you back up. In that event, 'GJ' will devise an alternate plan, though it may take a few hours or days to implement."

Prompted by her gratitude for the unexpected support and assistance from this one-time annoying agent, and her sudden desire to 'irk' him for old time's sake, Kim stepped forward and gave Will a big hug, accompanied by an equally big kiss on the cheek. It took several seconds for Special Agent Du to compose himself.

"Thanks, Agent Du, for everything. Really, I won't let 'GJ' down."

Having regained control, Will said, "One last item...if for any reason the pit should completely collapse, there is still hope of returning to the surface. Every time these creatures attacked, they apparently made use of natural cave systems, even though we don't know what methods they used to tunnel to the surface. These caves are therefore interconnected and likely have multiple points of egress. We may not be able to help you but we can monitor your location with the tracking devices."

The time was now. Less than one hour had elapsed from the heart-wrenching image on the television until this moment, but Kim needed to move. Her earlier feelings of hope were slowly being eroded by images of Shego, hurt and trapped, maybe without any hope of seeing daylight again, stuck at he bottom of this awful hole. Kim offered Agent Du a simple salute and climbed on the 'Moon Doggie'.

Standing on the machine much like she would a normal surfboard, Kim placed her hind foot into a stirrup. Her front foot slipped into a smaller, looser stirrup, from which she would steer. With a well-balanced motion, Kim jerked the board up off the ground, pointed the front edge of the board into the mouth of the pit and activated the rocket. In a subdued flash of flame, she was gone.

Will Du stood by the edge of the pit for a moment longer, then walked back to the base to monitor the rescue operation.

To Be Continued... 


	3. Chapter 3

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter III Fancy Meeting A Girl Like You In A Place Like This

If not for the infrared viewer making everything, well, red... Kim could have been 'shooting the tubes' at the shore somewhere. Although Kim had never been claustrophobic, the experience was bizarre to say the least. The earth itself smelled damp and rank, but not much more than a garden after being tilled. Fortunately for Kim, the remaining aperture of the partially collapsed pit was large enough for her and the rocket-board to 'surf' over and around any obstructions.

Kim did her best not to touch or disturb the surrounding soil any more than necessary, lest the tunnel close completely, not only sealing off the only known means of escape, but possibly crushing her as well. Even so, she was rapidly becoming filthy from the dirt all around her. She knew that once this was over she would need a nice, long shower. An image of Shego in the shower with her, and their usual caresses, brought her out of her reverie. This was not the time to lose focus. Another image of her entire family, Shego and the children, sharing a bath as they often did, made a lump form in her throat.

It was at this point that Kim noticed something different about her decent. The rocket board was reasonably quiet and she hadn't wanted to make any unnecessary noise, but she was aware of something going on behind her. Not quite a noise, but more like a pressure wave and a slight rumbling in the tunnel.

Glancing behind her, Kim was horrified to see that the tunnel was indeed collapsing. Moving almost like a fluid, the hole was being filled behind her by a moving wall of earth. Uncertain about boosting the power of the rocket, Kim instead used what she knew about surfing to gain additional speed. Even if the way behind her was closed, Will's parting comments gave her the information she needed to return her and Shego home.

Suddenly, something else caught her attention. It was another noise, this time from underneath the board. With her infrared viewers on, Kim could not immediately tell what the reason for the sound was, then it became clear to her. Though she had started her decent on loosely packed soil, she was now sliding over rock. The board jerked and bucked under her feet, no longer as able to follow her direction.

Before Kim could think of any way to slow down, speed up, or do anything, the tunnel opened up around her. What had been a sloped chute was now a black void, with nothing close enough to register clearly on her viewer. Kim fell like a stone into the stygian darkness. Kim thought of her children...

"Princess, wake up. Princess..."

Kim ached all over. She lay on her back and at a very uncomfortable angle, with her neck bent down and her chin pressing against her chest. She'd heard the voice speaking to her, but her thoughts were too muddled to form a reply.

Taking one experimental breath... then another... Kim decided that she was alive, but apparently blind. After several blinks, Kim realized that her infrared viewer was either broken or had been lost, and that she wasn't necessarily blind but that there was nothing to see.

"Come on, Princess, talk to me... please don't be hurt..."

Kim knew the voice to be Shego's. She could also tell from its proximity that Shego was right next to her. Furthermore, the reason that her head was at such an uncomfortable angle was because it was resting on Shego's lap. 

"Don't... don't you know that you're not supposed... to move an accident victim?"

Shego sobbed loudly with relief and her hand found Kim's face. A second later, her mouth found Kim's mouth. Kim would have preferred to take a few more breaths at this time, but Shego didn't relent. Only after Shego began to cover the rest of Kim's dirty face with kisses could the younger women catch her breath.

"I'm alright, I think. I guess I was out, huh?" Kim had begun flexing her muscles and shifting her body, testing for breaks and damage. She felt intact, but very, very sore.

There were a few sniffles in the darkness before Shego's voice returned. "You could say that. You could also say that while I was sitting here in a nasty pool of who-knows-what, you came flying into this hole in the ground and almost took my head off."

Shego was combing her fingers through Kim's hair. Kim felt a drop of water hit her face and wondered if Shego was crying. "Are you OK, Shego? Are you hurt?"

"Of course I'm not hurt." Shego's voice was slightly muffled and there was a sound as if she were wiping at her face. "You just made such a mess when all of that dirt followed you in here, I got all sorts of crap in my eyes."

Kim decided to let the matter drop. She slowly and carefully rolled over onto her side, then up into a kneeling position. With Shego's help, Kim stood on her own feet. Yes, she was going to be very sore for a while.

"I brought all kinds of survival equipment with me, so let's see if any of it survived the crash." Kim kept looking around her, failing to pierce the black veil of the cavern. "Shego, could you fire up our plasma flame? That should be plenty of light."

"I... I can't."

This made Kim pause. "Are you sure that you're not hurt? Is there gas down here?" Kim sniffed the air but couldn't smell anything that might explode if Shego 'lit up'.

"No, I said I'm fine... but... I can't generate any plasma, no matter how hard I concentrate."

Puzzled, Kim groped in the darkness for Shego, wanting nothing more than to embrace her lover. She located Shego, the other woman standing just next to Kim, but Shego was rigid, and seemed unwilling to accept the embrace.

"What then? What is wrong?"

"First, you tell me, what in the HELL made you decide to come down here after me? This isn't your job anymore, Kimmie... you are the mother to our children! Who will look after them if something happens to us?"

Shego was almost yelling now, the anger in her voice shocking Kim as it echoed within the confined space and came back at her from all sides.

Feeling that her decision to assist in the rescue had been sound, Kim felt a little defensive.

"Hey, who did this sort of thing everyday of the week, and sometimes twice on Sundays? I saw a news report of you in combat with those critters... I was watching the news and thought I had just watched you DIE! There was no way that I could NOT help to save you..." Kim felt the heat of her own anger rising. "Even Dr. Director and Agent Du agreed that I was the best suited or this mission!"

"Never everyday of the week, Princess. You had to go to cheerleading practice, remember?" Shego was taunting her now, just like the old days, with words selected to cut like razors. "I'm the one that made her living by getting myself into, and out of, dangerous scrapes. Some rescue mission... now we're both trapped down here!"

Even without the viewer over here face, Kim was seeing red.

"Did it ever occur to you, Princess, that maybe 'GJ' was just hoping to keep you out of their hair? That you might make a bigger mess from being out of practice for so long? That now our children will be alone... have to be raised by strangers... hey, OOW!"

Still holding her spouse tightly, Kim's embrace had turned into a viscous clench. With all her strength, Kim pushed Shego away from her. Shego must have lost her footing in the inky blackness because Kim heard the clattering of stones as Shego slipped and fell over.

"They are not strangers, they are my PARENTS and they love those children and they love you and... and why would you say such... such horrible things like that?" Kim's legs became weak with anguish and frustration and she sank down to the floor of the cavern. She began to weep.

Shego followed the sound to its source and gently enfolded Kim in her arms.

"Get AWAY from me!" cried Kim through her tears.

Shego did not move away from Kim, nor did she let go.

"Kimmie, Kimmie... I am so, so sorry. Please, please, please..." Shego began rocking the both back and forth, like an infant in a cradle. "Please forgive me."

The rocking and the warmth of Shego's body spoke volumes to the scared and angry little girl buried as deep in Kim's psyche as they were both literally buried in the earth. Kim let herself be coddled without returning the gesture.

"At least shut up, then, if you won't get away from me."

"Forgive, forgive, forgive..." The voice was barely a whisper; Kim knew she heard tears in Shego's voice this time. They remained in the darkness, holding each other as if their souls depended on it, rocking like frightened children.

After what could have been minutes or hours, Kim raised her head and found Shego's mouth with her own. Kim made the kiss short but heartfelt.

"Fancy meeting a girl like you in a place like this."

"Still love me?"

"I'm not sure."

"Shrew."

"Hag."

"Bitch."

"... poopie head."

"Judas PRIEST, Princess, you never could swear." Shego punctuated their embrace with a firm squeeze and let go of her wife. They moved apart but held hands in the darkness.

Shego began to think of their immediate situation. "Let's see if we can salvage any of the stuff that you brought down with you. I couldn't see much of your entrance, but was that a surfboard I saw you riding? It shot out a flame that lit up everything for a second or two."

"Yep, and it's probably the most important piece of equipment I had, except for the viewer." This made Kim pause. "Exactly what did you mean when you said that your plasma wouldn't generate?"

Shego was silent for a moment. "Well" she sighed. "It's like this: you know that my ability to generate plasma fields with my hands is fueled by my body's ability to store and convert ultraviolet radiation, primarily from the sun, right?"

"That's the textbook answer, but yeah, sure. And?"

"Well, you were watching me fight those creatures on the news, right? Believe me, I wasn't sparing the horses on that fight, let me tell you..." Shego lifted Kim's hand and gave it a little nibble. "Just like we used to go at it."

"Don't change the subject! What exactly is wrong?"

"What is wrong is that I've apparently used all of the energy that I'd stored recently. Usually just walking around in normal sunlight for a few minutes each day is enough to keep me going without a reduction in power, and sunbathing can keep me topped-off for days. But now it looks like I can't even strike a match until we can find some sunlight. Which isn't likely, down here..." Shego lapsed into silence.

"Wait a minute. We've been together for how long and I didn't know about this?"

"Hel-loo! Sworn enemies, bitter foes! We don't tell each other about our 'Achilles Heel'. Hel-loo!"

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it. So, let's see what equipment we can find in this dump..."

After several minutes of blindly feeling about on the cavern floor, the women reached the conclusion that they were in dire straights. The 'Moon Doggie' board seemed intact, but since it had only thrust and no lift, they would have to carry it instead of riding it. The water-purification tablets were located, as were about half of the protein concentrates. The infrared viewer was definitely gone, and probably broken as well. The only other piece of equipment they could use was the wrist compass.

"We're lucky to have what we found, Shego. It sounds like I hit pretty hard when I came down here."

"You did, Princess. That rocket lit everything up like a flare. I thought... I though you were dead."

Kim knew that even after all these years, Shego hated feeling 'weak' or 'helpless'. These words, Kim also knew, where the closest that Shego ever came to admitting fear or defeat. Love and passion were to be had from by Shego in abundance, but only to a select few, namely her wife and children. Therefore, Kim saw no reason to make Shego suffer.

"Listen to me. We're both alive and healthy. Will Du said that if we follow these caves, we would eventually find a path to the surface. And they can track our movements so they'll know we're OK when they see that we're moving. Right?"

Shego made a noise of derision. "OK, little Miss Possible. How are we to find our way anywhere when we can't see a blessed thing?"

Kim thought about that. "This is a good point. Let me think about that. Remember, anything's possible for..."

"Oh, for the love of Mike, please don't start that again!"

To Be Continued... 


	4. Chapter 4

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter IV Thirty Days In The Hole

As the two women sat back to back on the cavern floor, a few random thoughts passed through Kim's mind as she pondered their illumination problem.

"Shego, tell me about those creatures that raided the armory. What were they like?"

"They were definitely not human, but they were humanoid. They were small, filthy and stinky. Phew! They were roughly two feet tall and hardly put up any fight. I don't think that they could see very well because they kept running into each other. I bet the daylight was too strong for them."

"Did they drag you down here with them or did you follow?"

Shego answered so faintly that Kim could not understand the reply.

"You what?"

"I fell, OK? I said I fell. They were all jumping down into the pit; I was right behind them when the edges started to break away. I didn't see the need to chase them down here, but suddenly I was falling right along with them." Shego paused, and then said, "Come to think of it, they didn't really seem to care that I was with them. Once we hit bottom, they disappeared. I heard them run off, and then nothing. Until you arrived."

Shego gave Kim a one-armed hug. "My hero."

"Nuts, some hero. I can't even..." Kim didn't bother to finish her sentence. There was no point. She felt Shego's arm around her waist, held her lover's hand with their fingers interlocked. She saw how pale their hands looked. She saw...

"Hey! I can see!"

Kim began looking around wildly, turning her head left and right. There was something that allowed her to just barely make out vague shapes around them, as well as see Shego's recumbent form beside her. If he moved her eyes too fast, it was all a blur. But if she kept her eyes wide open and stared long enough, she could see!

"What do you mean? How can you see?"

Kim raised her hands and slowly moved them towards Shego's face. Sure enough, Shego reacted before they could touch her, taking the slightly smaller hands in her own.

"Kimmie, you're a genius." Glancing around, Shego postulated, "It's got to be some sort of natural bioluminescence. It just took a while before our eyes adjusted to it. It could be a fungus, or... what?"

Kim had been smiling with unbridled affection for her mate. "Look at the big brain on Shego!"

"Hel-loo, graduated High School, I did! Hel-loo!"

The women used their newfound vision to make another search of their surroundings for anything that survived Kim's plummet. They found nothing else except for the infrared viewer, which was badly broken.

With each of them holding onto the rocket-board, they slowly walked in the direction that Shego thought she'd heard the creatures move. Not that Shego was too keen to renew the acquaintance, but that seemed the likely way to find a central passage.

Will Du had been correct; there was plenty of water to be found. After a few hundred feet, there was a tiny spring flowing from between the rocks and it led in the same directly they'd chosen to move. The glowing fungus was more prevalent along the damper areas of the walls and floor, making their way easy to see.

Hours of walking eventually culminated in having spent a day under ground. They frequently came across pools, seemingly clean and pure, but didn't drink until they had taken the precaution of using the purification tablets. Hygiene was limited, and Kim was the only one whose modesty inhibited her willingness to 'relieve herself' in such a confined space. Shego proved that she had no such issues. They just had to be certain that they didn't foul their water supply.

The main problem was going to be food. Neither woman had the first clue of how far they might have to travel before they found passage to the surface. If they were down here for too long the concentrates would run out, no matter how much they rationed them. While neither prospect appealed to them, they began looking for other kinds of ingenious life that they might have to eat to survive.

One day of travel became two, then three. In the perpetual twilight of the glowing fungus, sleeping when they were tired and walking once they had rested, they lost track of the passing of time. They found that they never felt too hot or cold either, even with the varying levels of moisture. Air quality was something that they learned to be aware of, however. There were occasional pockets of methane and other noxious gases or just stale air that they couldn't breathe. These had to be avoided.

Still they marched on, almost always making physical contact with each other, often talking of home and family, but neither sticking to one topic for too long. Without frequently distracting each other with changes of subject, each risked becoming too heartbroken over being away from their children, Shego as much as Kim.

"K-Kim, wait... I..." Kim had taken the lead this time, so she wouldn't have known something was amiss if Shego hadn't spoken. "I need... to sit down... for a moment."

Kim turned and held her wife, slowly letting them both rest down on the floor of the passage. It had been approximately two weeks since they'd become trapped. The only things that kept their spirits up were hope of seeing their children and families again, and also that their tracking devices were telling the world that they were still moving, and therefore alive.

"What's wrong?" Kim held Shego close. The taller woman was shaking, but her skin wasn't cold or flushed. "Do you feel sick, like you're going to throw up?"

Shego managed to chuckle. "No, Mom. Thanks, anyway. No, Kimmie, I just felt really dizzy all of a sudden. I feel better already, but I can't explain it. Sure, we're both hungry, but I don't think it was hunger that made me dizzy. You're just as hungry as I am... and you've been keeping pace like a trooper."

Kim called a rest break and they each compared all they new about symptoms of hunger, dehydration (albeit very unlikely), poison, infection, allergies or parasites. They could find nothing to point to any of those causes for Shego feeling weak (Kim was careful not to use that word).

There was something, however, nagging at the back of Kim's mind. Then, she remembered it.

"Shego, other than your ability to store and convert sunlight to plasma emissions, has your albinism ever given you any health problems?"

Shego had mentioned to Kim how she received her powers many times. "Well, after my contact with the meteor, my folks had my brothers and I subjected to all sorts of tests. My genetic structure was altered, but other than a few vitamin deficiencies, I was in the pink... to coin a phrase."

Kim thought about this. "I think that being stuck down here in the darkness is preventing your body from making something vital, possibly vitamin D. It's created by our bodies through exposure to sunlight. We've both been out of the sun for days, and even though we're both lacking a source of several vitamins and nutrients right now, I'd guess that a side effect of your powers keeps you from making enough of it normally."

Shego reflected on what she heard. "Crap. What can we do?"

"We might not have to do anything. You should still be OK for a few more days. Hopefully, we'll find something for you by then." Kim must have looked pensive and Shego called her on it.

"But we might not." Kim did not answer. She was down here for Shego. She would save the woman she loved, even at the cost of her own life. The march was resumed, but at a slower pace.

Generally, they had been following a straight line; the compass was of little help since 'upwards' might be in any given direction. They had agreed that the better plan of action would be to find the 'Troglodytes' (as Shego had named them) and then trick, beg or force (again Shego's idea) the little 'Trogs' to lead them to the surface.

The tiny stream of water that had been running along their chosen path for much of the journey suddenly stopped. The narrow tunnel had opened up into what appeared to be an enormous gallery of stalagmites, stalactites and crystal formations.

Furthermore, and of much greater impact to their plans of escape, there seemed to be an endless, black subterranean lake on the other side of the stone 'forest'.

Kim decided to call a halt; they had little choice until they could find a way to the other side of the lake. Shego had acclimated herself to the slower pace and seemed to be doing much better, even thought Kim was always by her side.

The 'shore' of this underground lake consisted of tiny, worn pebbles, and the water was as black as Shego's hair; not a ripple disturbed the surface.

"The good news is that we brought our own boat." Kim gestured towards the 'Moon Doggie'."

"And the bad news is...?" Shego was leaning up against a stalagmite, massaging her feet and calves.

"I don't think we should use the rocket thruster to speed our way across. We don't know how big the lake is, so we might not have enough fuel, either to cross the lake or to regain the surface once we find a way upwards."

"You're a buzz-killer, Princess." Shego muttered. "I'm going swimming." Shego was already taking off her uniform.

Kim gasped at this suggestion. "In there?" Kim pointed towards the lake. "Nothing doing! There might be monsters!"

With a sigh, Shego turned away from the beach. "No, silly, over this way. Check it out." Shego walked back up the shore and Kim followed. There was a pool several yards away from the lake, apparently the terminus of the stream from the tunnel. The water seemed to have worn a depression in softer rock before it met resistance and overflowed into the lake, it's original destination. This pool, along with an overhang in the wall of the cavern, created a small grotto.

The fungus absolutely flourished here, the ambient light just slightly stronger than that of starlight through a clear sky. After days of only the faintest glow to light their way, the grotto shone like the full moon to their light-starved eyes.

Since there had been little that they could do about personal grooming before now, other than basic hygiene, Kim was reminded of just how filthy they both were. The idea of a bath, even a cold one, was appealing and she followed Shego.

For her part, Shego had already divested herself of her ragged uniform, and was kneeling before the pool, testing the temperature and depth.

"It's not ice cold, but still cool, and I can see bottom. It's no deeper than the local wading pool back home." With that, Shego slid into the water and completely submerged herself. When she resurfaced, Shego floated on her back, totally relishing the support the water gave to her weary body.

Looking up at her lover, Shego asked, "Are you coming in or... what?"

Kim was gazing down at Shego, at the pale loveliness of her wife's body, of how her skin shone brightly in the glowing pool, and how Shego's hair spread outwards like a billowing black cloud. The scene was of unearthly beauty.

Suddenly realizing what had captured Kim's attention, Shego looked down the length of her body and smiled back at Kim. "Do you like what you see?"

"Oh, yes. Kim likes."

"And you are waiting for a graven invitation, I take it?"

"Just admiring the view for a moment. Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?"

Not replying immediately, Shego cupped her hands underneath her breasts and slowly ran her lands along her tall form, across her stomach and down to her sex, then resting on her thighs. "Talk is cheap, Princess. Why don't you get your bubble butt in here and do something about it?"

Kim removed her own clothes; both the fabric and her skin equally caked with grime. She looked up sharply as a low whistle cut through the silence.

"Wow... Kimmie, let me tell you, no one would ever guess that you were the mother of twins." Shego cocked her head to one side. "Except for the boobs. Yep, the boobs definitely have more heft to them than the old days."

Kim felt a little guilty to hear Shego say this, even if she also felt gratified. Giving birth to their twin daughters was one of the best events in her young life. She had been concerned however, that she might not be able to regain her youthful figure. It wasn't just to keep her body in fighting trim that Kim had been worried; Kim was ashamed to admit that she could be vain.

She lowered herself into the water, taking a deep breath first. Kim stayed under the water as long as she could to allow the water to break up the dirt on her skin and in her hair. Upon surfacing, Kim threw her hair back to keep it out of her face and to help the water drain out. Before she could even open her eyes, Shego was upon her.

Buoyant in the shallow pool, their bodies intertwined and they shared a passionate kiss. As if needing each other more than oxygen, their mouths remained locked as their hands visited familiar territories. 

When the kiss broke, Kim and Shego intertwined in a helix of caresses. Shego, usually a little harsh at first when making love, was gentle as her fingers located Kim's tender sex. The penetration was careful and deliberate, finely calculated by the once-criminal mind to make Kim putty in Shego's hands. Kim's muscles contracted around Shego's fingers and held them tightly Shego was glad that Kim was keeping up with her exercise.

While the one hand remained occupied, Shego used her other hand to find the sweet spot that Kim liked to have massaged near her tailbone. The area was very tender and Kim would become totally helpless after a little probing. Probably a result of some old battle injury, Shego thought ruefully. Between breaths of air, Shego gave special attention to Kim's belly using lips and tongue.

Kim had been gripping the sides of the pool with her outstretched hands, eyes raised to the grotto ceiling. During her sexual encounters with Shego, Kim was often embarrassed by her desire to scream at the top of her lungs, especially when she would climax. Shego would laugh heartily at Kim's attempts not to wake their daughters. This time, however, hundreds of feet of packed rock and earth meant that Kim could orgasm as loud as she wanted.

And she did, repeatedly.

Shego made eye contact with Kim. "You got some sugar for me?"

Kim gasped as she caught her breath. "You just wait and see." Kim launched herself across the pool, carrying Shego to the other side. Shego's breasts, full and firm, were Kim's first port of call. The fact that it was Kim Possible nuzzling them, more than the act of foreplay itself, always seemed to drive Shego into a slow burn towards ecstasy.

Floating against each other, Kim used her knee to gently pry apart Shego's legs. Bringing their pelvises together, Kim used her upper thigh to slowly massage her wife's sex. Then, while Kim's lips alternated between Shego's breasts and mouth, Kim's hands traveled downwards.

While Kim offered her own breasts to Shego, Kim's hands found what she was searching for. A well-placed thumb, slipped deep inside Shego, elicited a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth. With a last suckle at each dark green nipple, Kim lowered her head beneath the surface of the pool and removed her thumb from Shego, quickly replacing it with her tongue.

Shego had long kept her nether region free of hair by means of a severely limited plasma emission. The once smooth flesh was warm against Kim's face, but the hair was growing back and it prickled her nose and cheeks. The former cheerleader had proved herself an apt pupil when Shego began sharing with her the finer points of lovemaking. Shego had been shocked when Kim not only learned so quickly how to pleasure her older mate, but also began to introduce her own unique ideas.

This technique had been refined over the years. At one point when Kim lifted her head for air, she had an inspiration. Taking a deep breath, Kim lowered her head down into the pool and used her fingers to gently spread Shego's labia wide. Taking aim carefully in the pale aura of the glowing walls, Kim blew a stream of bubbles up into Shego's sex.

Shego bucked and went ridged, her legs shooting straight outward beside Kim's head. Kim rose up and moved closer to Shego... but quickly noticed that something wasn't right.

"Shego!" Kim yelled into her spouse's face, desperate to know what was wrong.

Shego was taking short, panting breaths, not unlike someone in the throws of ecstasy. Unlike a normal orgasm, Shego didn't seem to be regaining any control over her limbs. She didn't even appear to be fully conscious, and her eyes were rolled back. Kim took Shego's limp form in her arms and held her lover's head up from the water. Wracked by muscle spasms, Shego appeared to be having a seizure.

After many fearful minutes being cradled in Kim's arms, Shego's body relaxed and her breathing became slower and steady. Shego moved her arms and turned her head left and right, as if searching the grotto for Kim.

"I'm here, baby. I'm right here." Kim held Shego as tightly as she ever held their daughters. "Can you hear my voice?"

Shego made a few false starts before she was finally able to get the words out.

"Still here. You know, there are worse ways to go than being screwed to death."

Caught between a laugh and a sob, Kim held Shego close and buried her face in Shego's hair. The tears came freely.

"What happened? What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, the bubble trick was new. We'll want to use that for our next swimming party." Shego must have regained some of her strength; she gave Kim a weak hug around the younger woman's waist. "But then...nothing, until I knew that you were holding me. I saw lights pop in my head and that's the last I knew."

"Shego, something is seriously wrong with you, whether it's a vitamin deficiency or what, I thought you were having a stroke just now."

"I did. Didn't you feel it? Maybe my technique is getting a little rusty, but still..."

"DAMN IT, SHEGO..." Kim's level of fear and pain had reached a crescendo. "You could have died in my arms!"

They each thought about that for a moment, letting silence return to the grotto.

"Sorry, Pumpkin. You're right, there is something wrong with me." Shego pulled herself upright, but let Kim continue to hold support her.

"We have to face the possibility that only one of us might make it out of here. That only one of us will" Shego paused, "will see our children again. I don't like to admit defeat. You know how I hate to lose. Death is the ultimate 'game over' for me. I was never afraid of death before I met you, because at that time of my life I had very little to stay alive for."

Shego had regained enough control of her motor function to turn and look Kim square in the eyes. She was still so weak and frail that only Kim kept Shego's head upright.

Nonetheless, Kim met Shego's gaze and didn't waiver.

"Now you listen to me. We have both faced death a thousand times, mostly mine at your hands," Kim deliberately said this to provoke a reaction. Shego didn't provide one.

"We each know that every mission comes with ample risk of not making it back home. Remember that old saying, that 'a coward dies a thousand deaths, but a hero dies but one'? I came down into this nasty, stinky hole for you. And not only so that we could do the bump and grind at the earth's core!"

This finally snapped Shego out of her funk. "I love you, Kimberly Possible. I just don't know how well I can keep up with you. I won't let you carry me. If it comes to that, I want you to leave me and continue to look for a way out. Maybe you can send 'GJ' back with help."

Kim's didn't speak, just shook her head back and forth.

"Kim, I know that you don't like to hear such thing from me, but I've already set back a lot, and I mean a LOT of money in trust for our daughters. If I don't make it..."

Kim gently placed her hand over Shego's mouth. "I will say this only once, so please listen carefully. I will not be your widow, and I will not raise your orphans. We are going to sit here until you get some more of your strength back and then we're going to find a way across that lake out there. Do you understand me?"

Kim waited for an answer. Shego wasn't ready to give it yet.

"I said, do you...?"

"YES... yes, I heard you. I just... I... hate being like this, so pitiful and helpless."

Kim was unrelenting. "So, are we leaving together?"

"Yes, ma'am." Shego let Kim hold her as if she were a baby. Then she gasped.

"Shego, what? Are you OK?" Kim was afraid that Shego was about to have another attack.

Shego had been pressing close to Kim and had been slowly moving her arms to embrace the younger woman when she noticed something amazing.

"Kim, look at yourself."

Kim looked down, though it took her a moment to see what Shego had noticed. When she finally realized what it was, she grinned and held Shego even tighter.

Here in the dim phosphorescent glow, beyond everything they knew, with fading resources and uncertain hope, Kim's skin appeared to be the identical shade of pale green as Shego's.

To Be Continued... 


	5. Chapter 5

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter V In An Itty Bitty Pool

After allowing plenty of time to bolster their strength and spirits with rest, Kim decided to explore the stone 'forest' and ponder the issue of the underground lake.

Shego was asleep, so Kim left her in as safe a location as could be found and walked towards the shore. As she did, she examined her surroundings.

The stalagmites and stalactites seemed normal thought she really had no idea what she as seeing. The crystal formations, however, were something totally different in her experience.

Whatever the mineral was, it's crystalline matrix caused it to form small, semi-transparent wafers, stacked several inches high. The wafers snapped apart easily, and a small cut on her finger proved to Kim how sharp the edges were.

The wafers were in the shape of little isosceles triangles, each one almost the size of a playing card. Kim carefully held a wafer on the palm of her hand, testing its weight.

Struck with sudden inspiration, Kim threw the wafer at a stalagmite several yards away. Upon leaving her hand, the wafer flew straight and true, taking a chip out of the rocky formation. Walking over to collect and examine the wafer confirmed that it was not damaged.

With a satisfied grin, Kim began to collect more of the crystal wafers. Now they had weapons!

"Nice shot." Kim turned to see Shego walking towards her. The taller woman was only dressed from the waist down, her full breasts swaying slightly as she moved. Kim forced herself to not become distracted by the sight. "Do you have any more of those?"

"Plenty. I wanted to take some when we cross the lake. We have no idea what's in there."

Shego nodded her approval and moved closer to the edge of the water. "How do we plan to cross, exactly? On your board?"

"Yes, using one of the thinner formations of stone to either punt ourselves across, or as a paddle if it's deep, which is very likely."

Shego starred at the lake. Kim knew that Shego's trained mind was assessing the dangers they might face, and the vulnerability of their position. Shego acknowledged that they had no choice but to continue to more forward.

As she sauntered back to where Kim stood, Shego said, "Too bad there isn't any breeze down here. We could use our clothes to make a sail." Shego looked down at her bare chest.

"We could have used my bra, if I had worn one. I mean, after all..."

Kim took the bait. "Don't you dare!"

"Mine are still bigger than yours, anyway."

"Oh, no you didn't!" Kim ran at Shego and tackled her, though it wasn't really a tackle at all. While Kim appreciated the levity that her mate could bring into this otherwise dire situation, Kim knew that Shego's attempt at humor was a distraction.

Even in the dim glow, Shego didn't look well. The most obvious change was how she had moved. Kim had known ninjas that were less graceful, but now Shego was practically staggering when she walked. It was far too dark to be sure, but Kim suspected that Shego looked drawn and even paler than usual.

Taking care to collect their few remaining possessions, the women carried the rocket board down to the lake. Still basically a surfboard, the 'Moon Doggie' remained afloat under their combined weight. Shego had agreed to ride in front and watch for hazards while Kim used a makeshift paddle to get them moving.

Since there was nothing on the shore that was exactly 'paddle-shaped', Kim searched until she found a crystalline formation that could be broken away from its base. The heavy, axe-like extension was hardly suitable, but it would have to suffice.

Other than the improvised paddle dipping into and out of the water, there was no sound. They found themselves unwilling to speak, as if breaking the silence would provoke forces unseen.

Though Shego normally had as much, if not more, upper body strength than Kim, the pale woman was too weak to make more than a token attempt at her turn to row. This made her sullen, so she rode at the front of the board with her legs drawn up against her chest and her arms locked around them.

After several hours of gliding across the surface, they began to wonder if they had made a critical mistake. There seemed to be no end in sight, in as little sight as was allowed them. At the end of the second day, by their closest estimation, the women sat down to discuss their options, including turning back.

Given that they were using an upgraded surfboard for a raft, space was at a premium. Shego was lying on her back and looking towards the glowing cavern roof, far above them. Kim stood on the board, straddling the other woman; Shego took full advantage to make comments intended to provoke her young wife.

"You know," whispered Shego, "you might be more comfortable if you slipped out of those wet clothes."

"And into a dry martini? You watch too many movies."

"You would know. I seem to recall many a make-out session during an action flick." Shego reached up and caressed Kim's inner thighs.

"Cut it out, you'll make me lose my balance." Kim lifted the crystal paddle from the water, using it to playfully tap the crown of Shego's head. The 'Moon Doggie' rocked slightly.

"Careful there, Pumpkin. You'll tip us over." Shego relaxed into a light doze.

Kim had become adept at controlling the their motion and stability in the water over the last two days. Kim looked around them into the watery void.

"Shego, I don't think..."

The raft heaved as the water suddenly churned beneath them. Kim dropped to her knees and shielded her wife. Shego clutched the raft and searched the darkness for the cause of the violent motion, but neither woman could see a thing.

And then the water rose up beside them.

Down in the stygian depths, many forms of life had learned to adapt to a world without light. Whatever the original design of the creature had been, it held no resemblance to anything alive today that lived above ground.

A column of gelatinous flesh, so black that it could have been spawned from the darkness itself, reared over their heads. At first a shapeless pillar, the thing rose up from the water to a height of several yards before Kim could see a crown of tentacles grow out from the top, like the branches of a slimy, wet tree. These tentacles were thinner than the main trunk, but quickly grew to a length of seven feet or more.

Kim was shocked to recognize this hideous creature. She had seen one several years before, while back in Middleton High School, albeit under a microscope. This beast, or its remote ancestors, must have been hydrae. You can find then in lakes and ponds, but never as massive as this.

"Shego, hold on!"

The entire mass began to writhe and twist, like a windmill caught in a hurricane. It lashed down at the helpless women and the apex of main trunk split to form a gapping maw.

Without conscious thought, Kim took a handful of the crystal wafers from her pocket and hurled them at the beast. At such close proximity, all hit the target.

They hit and sank into the dark mass with no effect. Did this thing even have normal organs?

"Shego, find the ignition stirrup on the board! Don't hit the switch 'til I give the word!"

Instead of an answer, Shego simply let out a scream. This shocked Kim almost as much as the horror she was fighting against. Shego never screamed. Sure, in passion, in battle, at telemarketers, but never out of fear. This steeled Kim for what she knew might be a hopeless fight. She would not let this horror end their journey after they had traveled this far.

It wanted food. What it got was a heavy, crystalline paddle in the mouth.

Kim hadn't waited for the beast to strike. Making certain that Shego was securely hanging onto the board, Kim raised the axe-like paddle and took a swing that would have made Babe Ruth proud.

The paddle cut right into the black flesh, meeting hardy any resistance. Kim wondered in the back of her mind if the creature had any rigid support structure at all, but she had little time to ponder the question.

Having a form that was designed to hold and feed, the 'mega-hydrae' wasn't used to food that fought back. It heaved away from the board and brought all of its tentacles forward.

Carefully avoiding any motion that could capsize their tiny craft, Kim was severely hampered in her options for defense. In essence, fighting this creature wasn't unlike fighting a nest of large snakes. Surely, Kim thought, I've done that at some point.

As unexpected at the attack had been, and as frightening as the creature was, Kim was gaining confidence that she could hold it off; at least until they could find a way to escape the situation.

"Kim! Watch out!"

The unfortunate truth was that even 'the girl who could do anything' just couldn't keep her eyes on over a half-dozen writhing pseudo-pods in such faint light. Kim was able to slice away two of them before one made contact with her shoulder, and then another hit her on the back.

Kim felt a numbness spreading outward from the points of contact. She could still stand, but her limbs were feeling as if they were encased in lead. She knew that she had been stung, poisoned with some sort of venom.

Already finding it difficult to remain standing, let alone swing her makeshift weapon, Kim raised the paddle above her head in a vain attempt to ward off further strikes and protect Shego.

All round them the water began to heave and churn as more of the nightmarish creatures rose from the black water.

She barely felt the pair of hands reach up and pull her down onto the board.

Shego had been living her own private nightmare. Losing strength and hope, the former villain was caught in a fog of despair. Slightly feverish but not quite hallucinating, her condition was making it difficult to stay focused on her surroundings. The attack roused her, but she found herself unable to take action, not even to assist her beloved Kim.

Her body's resources failing, Shego was able to grasp a spark of lucidity when adrenaline coursed through her veins. She had heard Kim say something about the ignition control for the rocket board. Shego looked down past herself towards the aft end of the board, and saw the ignition stirrup. Her foot could reach it easily, but then Kim had said something about 'waiting'.

Of all the people in the world, there was only one other person that Shego trusted; if Kim told her to wait, she would wait.

But then she saw the hellish monstrosity hit Kim with it's tentacles, saw Kim drop to her knees, watched Kim use herself as a shield in the hope of keeping Shego safe.

Shego's mind was clear enough to know that they'd heard this song before. With a supreme effort, Shego grabbed Kim and pulled the younger woman down. Shego kicked at the ignition and heard the cough of the engine. The watery cavern lit up like the Fourth of July from the rocket flame and the board was thrust forward, away from the attacking beasts.

One last glance back gave Shego a last view of the mega-hydrae that had stung Kim: the bastard appeared to be on fire.

The 'Moon Doggie' was rapidly picking up speed; soon it was skipping across the surface. With no way to know where they were going, Shego hoped that they would eventually reach the opposite shore. Holding tight to Kim, Shego, rolled over and looked ahead. There was little to see and little that they could have done anyway if more dangers lay before them.

They were both unconscious when the engine of the 'Moon Doggie' sputtered and died. They could not know that they were floating less than twenty yards from the ground. Nor were they aware of the many pairs of eyes that watched their approach with suspicion.

To Be Continued... 


	6. Chapter 6

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter VI In The Hall Of The Mountain King

Kim stirred, the morning sun gently touching her eyelids. She listened for the children but heard nothing. Maybe they were still asleep, or playing quietly in their room.

Someday she would indulge herself in the fantasy of sleeping all day, but not today. It must be almost time for her morning run so she needed to wake the girls. Kim rolled over to swing her legs over the edge of their king-sized bed. The bed was actually larger than king-sized, special ordered by Shego for their Homeric sex-play.

Kim rolled over. The soft bed became stone.

The dawn's early light didn't get any brighter.

The dream ended and Kim Possible found herself in a tight, rocky den.

She was lying on a mat of cloth, dense and tough but soft to the touch, like felt. It was impossible to tell if the mat was woven or made of hide. Light was coming from a small portal, a rough-hewn doorway into the cramped space. It was the same glow that had illuminated their journey for weeks.

This reminded her of Shego, and Kim made ready to use the doorway and face whatever dangers lay beyond. Kim gave herself a quick inspection and reviewed what he remembered of recent events.

She was wearing the same clothes hat she'd worn for weeks, and they were still clean from the washing she'd given them before they took to the water. Upon closer inspection, her outfit seemed to have received additional care from somewhere; it appeared to have been patched in several places, stitched with what looked like twine.

Something itched above the small of her back and near her right shoulder blade. Reaching under her clothes, Kim was appalled to find something like wads of oatmeal adhering to those areas.

Peeling the dried substance away from her skin, Kim also discovered small welts under the stuff. They were mildly sore and itched, not much more than a minor bee sting.

Kim remembered the fight on the lake, and the mega-hydrae stinging her. Things started to get fuzzy at that point, but she also recalled hearing Shego's voice. There was nothing after that, not until the pleasant half-dream from a minute ago.

In the modern world of advanced medicine into which Kim had been born and raised, by a mother who was a lauded and accomplished brain surgeon, using a poultice to draw out poison was almost a lost science.

Crawling through the doorway, Kim left the cubbyhole and faced the unknown.

Several shocking points of interest presented themselves to Kim Possible at that moment.

First was the cavern she was standing in. There was a large body of water a few dozen yards away at the bottom of a slight decline, making it likely that they had finally reached the opposite shore. The fact that Kim could even see the water from this far away meant that the light here was as strong as they had encountered so far.

Second were the stone huts. Much of the ground level of this stone gallery was covered with tiny structures, each one assemble from stones piled together though she could see one or two made from broken stalagmites, forming a crude lean-to.

Last were the inhabitants. The part of Kim's psyche that was keeping her from screaming explained to her that it was only logical that there be inhabitants, simply because of the existence of stone huts. 'So not the drama', it said.

Standing before Kim and facing her stoically were scores of tiny humanoids. They were not more than two feet tall and wrapped in something very dark, like rags or strips of cloth. Between rents in the filthy material could be seen filthy, pale skin and piercing black eyes. Like beads of onyx, the eyes were the only things that were alive and bright about the little creatures, and they were all looking at Kim.

These were the 'Trogs' that Shego had been fighting at the Middleton armory so many days ago. Kim was puzzled at how quiet and still they were. There didn't seem to be anything dangerous about them now. In fact, they were all just standing there, as if waiting for something.

"Um..." Kim stammered nervously. "Hi!"

The 'Trogs' didn't move. Kim would have thought they were carved from stone if she didn't hear an occasional breath.

By now fear and apprehension had given way to curiosity, and that was losing ground to anxiety and worry about Shego. Kim didn't have a solid plan of action, but she would not allow this new development to slow her down.

Kim picked up her foot and took a tentative step forward, then another. Gaining confidence, she edged up to the little men. They really were unearthly in appearance, even if she didn't feel threatened. When Kim reached the edge of the crown, she noticed something else about them... how badly they smelled.

It made her eyes water just standing next to them; it was a throat-clogging stench that made her a little nauseous. Whether the stink was coming from the little creatures themselves, or the vile wrappings they were covered with, Kim could not tell.

Without preamble, Kim heard sounds echoing from deep in the crowd. As she stared into the pale light, she saw movement.

From several yards away, someone was moving through the crowd. This new figure was moving quickly and with determined strides directly to Kim. The other little men silently moved out of it's way, parting like the proverbial Red Sea.

The newcomer was a giant compared to the other 'Trogs'. Kim didn't feel any more threatened because this 'giant' simply stood a head taller than the rest (meaning closer to three feet tall). It / he moved with a commanding presence and the others cleared a path for him right to Kim's feet.

When the newcomer finally stood before Kim, she noted the differences between him (?) and the smaller 'Trogs'. First, there was the (slightly) greater height. Second, thought he was dressed in the same tattered fashion, he was the only creature to act with any sort of motivation. In Kim's book that would make him a Leader, at least until she came across something better.

Thirdly, he was armed... sort of. Kim was slightly shocked to note that this 'Trog' was missing his left arm. There was only the barest suggestion of a shoulder, but no limb at all.

She could only guess at the accident or attack that caused such a wound, not to mention the will to live that this being possessed to survive it.

Held in the crook of his right arm, however, Kim saw that he was carrying an odd weapon. It was much taller than he was, maybe six or seven long, and might have been a spear except that the broad blade at the end had no point. The blade was flat at the end and slightly cupped: it was as if a kitchen spatula had been turned into a garden trowel and then stuck on the end of a pole.

The being stood before Kim; he was as filthy and stinky as the rest, but he was not silent.

"Glesh. N'yung glesh." The wrappings about his head completely obscured his mouth, as was the case for the rest of the 'Trogs' present. Regardless, Kim could hear him clearly. His voice was strong and confident. It just wasn't English.

Kim was nonplussed. "Hello? My name is Kim Possible."

The Leader cocked his head, and then shook it in a very humanlike gesture, never taking his eyes off Kim. Under the dirty layers of cloth there was the suggestion of a mouth and very oversized teeth.

"Voot rinto, glesh." The words came at her more slowly than before, more deliberate. Was he hoping that Kim could be made to understand him? Even Latin and French classes hadn't prepared her for this.

"Please tell me, where is my... where is Shego? What have you done with Shego?" Kim had almost said 'my wife' just now, but guessed that this distinction might be lost on the little man.

As she had been asking these questions, Kim had been raising her hand above her head and also to tug downwards on her own hair; it was an attempt to visually depict Shego's taller height and longer hair.

With a nod of comprehension, the one-armed Leader turned and walked quickly away from Kim, deeper into the gloom in the opposite direction of the lake. While the language barrier seemed impassable with these guys, the Leader seemed to understand Kim's hand signals well enough.

The crown of little 'Trogs' silently cleared a new path for him. Kim had to jog to catch up; the little fellow sure moved fast on those tiny legs.

After several paces, the two of them broke through the crowd and were moving off on their own. The rest of the 'Trogs' were not following. As they moved further away from the 'Trog' settlement, Kim began to wonder if the cavern didn't look brighter somehow. Before long, she was certain that there was some other source of light exerting its influence over the darkness.

Though they had been moving across an open area of the cavern, Kim noticed that their destination appeared to be a partially collapsed wall where the rocky ceiling met the ground beneath their feet. The wall seemed shattered, possibly the result of subsidence from ancient times. It was from between these enormous boulders that a strong light was visible.

Raising her hand to protect her weakened eyes against the glare, Kim noticed that they were about to encounter some strangers. Several of the smaller 'Trogs' were clustered nearby. An encampment had apparently been made in the vicinity of the mysterious light, for what reason, Kim could not guess.

Then, Kim saw Shego.

Shego was seated on a mat placed atop a smoother section of the floor. The floor was also sandier here instead of stone, making the ground softer. A tarp of the same hide or woven material that Kim had seen earlier was being used as a shield to protect both Shego and the 'Trogs' from the glare. Shego appeared to be conscious and was talking animatedly to the little men standing around her.

Kim could not contain herself further. She out paced her guide and ran to Shego.

"Oh, baby. Are you all right?"

Shego's head tilted up to look Kim full in the face, her mouth parted in a huge grin.

"Hey, Princess! Glad you're home. Did I forget a play date? Whose birthday is it?"

Shego's voice was overloud and her movements exaggerated, as if she were drunk or drugged.

"Kim, look... I guess that I forgot to be home for this. I'm sorry, and I'll make it up to you and the kids. But... really, if you're going to have Kasy & Sheki's little friends over to play, you should have given the girls a bath. They're both pretty ripe."

Kim kept moving closer, kneeling down beside the seated form. Shego certainly appeared healthier and more lucid, but she wasn't making sense. In fact, as she came closer, Kim was shocked to see Shego actually holding two of the 'Trogs', one cradled in each arm, beside her on the floor. Each little man was struggling for release, to Shego's apparent amusement.

"Shego, do you know where you are?" That question didn't immediately register with Shego. She was too busy tickling her 'captives' under their chins.

Shego let go of one 'Trog' and used both arms to lift the other. The first little man ran past Kim to stand behind the Leader, apparently for protection. Shego lifted the backside of the other 'Trog' to her face and sniffed.

"I think Kasy here has a poopie diaper." The 'Trog' made no sound, but hung there in Shego's hands with a look of helpless indignation.

Kim reached over and accepted the 'Trog' from Shego. When she set him down on his feet, he joined his cohort in safety behind their Leader. The Leader directed gestures and grunts at them. They subsided into ordered obedience.

"Shego, do you know where you are?" Kim repeated.

"You should know. You planted all the flowers back here." Shego looked around at what she apparently envisioned as their backyard. "It's getting pretty dark, it might rain."

Other than an unexplained lack of clarity, Shego seemed fine, and Kim was able to breathe easier for it.

"Baby, I'll take are of the girls. You stay here and rest."

"Thanks, Kimmie." Shego stifled a yawn. "Call me for dinner." With that, she promptly fell asleep.

A sudden waft of stink alerted Kim that the Leader had sidled up beside her. She looked down to see that he was holding something out to her. Taking it, Kim lifted it closer to her face and noticed with disgust that it was apparently some sort of foodstuff. It was pasty and smelled of fish.

Gaining Kim's attention with a wave of his hand, the Leader pointed to Shego first, then at himself. He took a few staggering steps, then fell over. The entire pantomime was so ridiculous that Kim had to fight against laughter, but the point was being made quite well. Then the Leader took the fish paste back from Kim, pretended to take a bite by raising it to the wrappings around his face (Kim never actually saw his mouth) and then sprang to his feet and thumped himself vigorously on the chest.

Kim interpreted as follows: they could tell Shego was ill, they fed her something with medicinal properties and she was recovering (or was at least better off) even if she was still a bit wonky. Kim leaned down to her sleeping lover and pointed at Shego's head, then raised both hand with palms upwards in a questioning gesture. How long will she like this?

In a reply that was shockingly human, the Leader held out his only arm with the palm of his own hand up and shrugged. No way to tell.

Kim sighed and stood upright. For now Shego was as safe here in the care of the 'Trogs' as she'd be anywhere.

Glancing around for more details about these mysterious little men, Kim was reminded of the bright light pouring from between the collapsed boulders at the near end of the cavern. Turning round to find the exact source, she started to move in that direction. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she really should leave Shego alone, when she noticed that her guide had already walked around her and was apparently moving in the direction of the light himself.

Using his trowel-spear to prompt her to follow, he walked towards a jagged cleft in the cavern wall. The cleft was a deep, horizontal crack that created a narrow passage out of the main gallery. By the time they had reached the passage, the light was almost blinding to Kim's eyes.

The little man stood off to one side of the jagged opening and set his weapon aside. In a minor display of aptitude using only one arm, he tore away a length of his wrapping and held it out to Kim. Before she could think of a way to ask her question, he placed his hand over his eyes and pointed his weapon into the passage.

Loath to have the smelly rag touching her skin, let alone her face, Kim still did as he had indicated. In the dim glow of the bioluminescent fungus, Kim would have been totally blind. Next to this raging source of unnatural light, the cloth acted as protection, much like a pair of sunglasses would.

Leaving her guide behind, Kim entered the passage. It was just as quiet here as it was in the main cavern, but somehow the light made every breath and every scuff of her feet sound a hundred times louder.

After what as only about twenty feet or so, the passage became much too narrow for Kim to follow. The walls closed in a seam that even the smallest 'Trog' could not fit through. Looking around, it was a few seconds before Kim realized that the source of the light was over her head. After spending weeks being stuck underground and traversing mile of caves and tunnels, Kim had simply lost the habit of looking up. And when she did...

"HAH!" Kim raised her arm and danced in a circle (that's all the room she had to move in the rock). She cried and laughed and yelled for joy. Then she cried some more.

At a countless distance above her, at the top of a natural chimney in the earth, penetrated unknown ages ago by whatever forces shattered the cavern walls, was a thin ray of sunlight.

Momentarily spent of energy, Kim sank down to her knees and thanked the powers that be that they had finally made it this far. They were not saved yet, but her heart was now fully stocked with hope. Shego was going to live. They were both going to hold their daughters again.

To Be Continued... 


	7. Chapter 7

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter VII And The Man At The Back Said 'Everyone Attack'...

When she left the 'lightfall' and walked out of the passage back into the main cavern, Kim was unpleasantly reminded of just how DARK this underground world was. Her guide was waiting for her and seemed to have anticipated this; he took he hand and carefully lead her back to the 'Trog' compound while Kim's eyesight acclimated to the dim glow once again.

Starring around to let her eyes drink in what little ambient light existed, Kim again took note of some details of the compound. The 'Trogs' didn't seem to have mastered the use of fire; she'd seen no cooking fires or any flame since she had awakened. They apparently caught and ate fish, some weird species of blind cave fish from the lake, and she could see plenty of drying racks between the tiny stone huts.

The Leader led her back to where Shego lay, and Kim stopped to confirm that her sleeping lover was still safe. Now that she had located a way to the surface, Kim racked her brain to think of how to get back up there. The only real choice se could see was to climb. But how could she carry Shego all that long way?

Nuts, she thought. If only it were as easy to go up as it had been for me to get down...

"That's it!" Kim took off at a run, leaving her startled guide behind her. She had an excellent sense of direction and over the past few weeks she had learned to adapt that skill down here in a world of almost total darkness.

Shortly she was able to find the alcove where she had been allowed to recuperate from her own injuries. There, leaning a few feet from the door, was the only remaining piece of equipment to survive this long.

Kim took the 'Moon Doggie' and set I down near a shallow pool. The fungus tended to grow better in the vicinity of water and here she would have the best light to examine the rocket engine.

Because of her having succumbed to the hydrae venom, Kim knew that her memory of events out on the lake were incomplete. She didn't remember the rocket board firing up and certainly not reaching this shore and the 'Trog' compound. Therefore, Kim had replaced memory with certain assumptions; one assumption was that the 'Moon Doggie' had been activated somehow and then carried them over the water until it had run out of fuel.

Upon closer inspection, Kim was heartened to see that she was not correct about all things; there was still a miniscule amount of fuel left in the board's tank.

Kim prayed that it would be enough to propel the two of them up the 'lightfall' to the surface. Sure, it was a very dangerous prospect, but nothing was impossible for a Possible.

Her guide had long since caught up with her and had been standing at a respectful distance while she examined the board. Kim only noticed him when several 'Trogs' ran over to interrupt his observations. After a hurried conference of clicks, buzzes and grunts, the Leader ordered them away and they returned from whence they'd come. The Leader glanced at Kim and then back at him retreating minions, then seemed to make a decision.

Again motioning to Kim that she should follow him, the Leader took her in another direction through the compound. Once they left the relevant comfort of the huts, Kim saw that they were heading toward a rather barren and desolate area of the cavern that made the compound seem like Eden by comparison.

Here the stone floor was very uneven. Kim could see loose rubble everywhere and she scanned the cavern roof for signs of a cave-in. The Leader tapped the butt of his trowel-spear to get her attention; once he had it, he pointed to a spot on the stone floor a few yards away.

What Kim saw was a pit, approximately ten feet in diameter. The pit wasn't open, however; it had apparently been choked with boulders and other loose rocks. For whatever reason they had done that, Kim noticed many 'Trogs' standing around the blocked pit, each of them watchful and attentive. That's when she also noticed the weapons from the armory.

In a rough perimeter around the blocked pit, there were several cases of mortars, grenades, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and mines. This was the 'Trogs' hoard of stolen munitions, apparently several months worth.

There were also weapons of the style conceived by the 'Trogs' themselves: more of the long trowel-spears, crystalline wafers just like Kim had learned to use as throwing stars, and several mottled gourds that she hadn't seen before.

Kim lifted one of the gourds and looked it over carefully. She apparently wasn't being as careful as her guide would have liked, because he rapped his weapon on the stones at his feet and took it from her.

"I'm sorry." Kim's verbal apology was automatic. Rather than being angry, the Leader gave her a demonstration of its use.

Singling out a smaller 'Trog' to act as a test subject, the Leader lobbed a gourd at the hapless creature. The aim was perfect and the gourd made impact. It burst in a cloud of vapor and the little 'Trog' dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Kim was horrified. "No! Why did...? How could you...?"

The Leader raised his hand for her attention, his odd weapon at his side. With the immediate assistance of several other 'Trogs', the hapless creature was revived and on his feet again in no time.

With dawning realization, Kim knew that this must have been the weapon used on the soldiers at the Middleton Armory. They had been rendered unconscious, but revived quickly and with no after-effects. If one gourd would knock a small 'Trog' out cold, several must have been used on each human. Looking around her, Kim noticed thousands of gourd-grenades. She shuddered to think of what these tiny creatures were prepared to face in combat.

Kim's trained eye evaluated the defense perimeter and the level of weaponry available. Though she had no clue what the 'Trogs' were on guard against, she was convinced that they felt it to be a substantial threat. She faced the 'Trog' Leader and made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire area. She then made the same non-verbal attempt to ask why?

Again the little man seemed to be making a decision. Then he spun on one heel and walked away from the danger zone.

Once they had returned to the center of the compound, the Leader led Kim to a pile of woven baskets, very crudely made from what looked like root fibers. Inside one of the baskets were several flat pieces of slate. On each of these were drawings and what might have been text, but Kim had no hope of reading that. The Leader began handing slates to Kim.

One slate may have been a map of he region; if so, the cave system it depicted was far vaster than anything Kim and Shego could have guessed at.

Another was a scene of compound life, with 'Trogs' fishing and building huts.

One was of enormous, subterranean earthworks. Now Kim saw the value of these trowel-spears. They were designed to cut right into the earth ad heave the dirt away, as well as for fighting.

The next image took some thought to interpret. It showed a pyramid made of 'Trogs'. There was one very large 'Trog' at the top. If the drawings were to scale, it must have been nearly human sized. Below it were two smaller ones, more like her guide, the Leader, in height. Finally, at the next and subsequent levels, were 'Trogs' of the size that Kim had seen the most of.

Kim pointed to the little creatures on the sate, then at several of the live beings working all around them. The Leader nodded enthusiastically. Then he reached out with his sole hand and pointed to the two slightly larger ones. He thumped his chest and then repeated the motion. Point... thump...

Clearly to anyone, this was his level in the 'Trog' hierarchy. Kim's only question was about the largest figure. She pointed to it, and then made a show of looking about the compound.

The 'Trog' did not immediately respond to her inquiry. His first action was to lay his weapon down and kneel before it. He then made a series of hand movements that looked oddly incomplete, until Kim realized that a one-armed being could only perform one half of such a ritual. Then, leaving his weapon where it lay, the Leader stood up and pointed to Kim.

"Me? I'm really sorry, but I don't understand. What is it about me?"

The little man looked at Kim with softness in his eyes. He moved closer to her, oblivious to how Kim was forcing herself not to retch from his terrible odor. He gently reached out and touched her abdomen. Like a thunderbolt, his meaning was clear.

"This..." Kim pointed back to the largest figure, "is a female? This is your... queen? Then you are a king, right?"

The 'Trog' removed his hand and performed the same one-sided ritual as before.

Waiting for him to stop, Kim again pantomimed, 'Where?'

The Leaders only reply was to take the late tablet from her. Setting the tablet on the earth floor, he grabbed a nearby pebble and gouged a diagonal line across the piece of slate. Having thus scored the stone, he raised the shaft of his weapon and brought it down, efficiently cracking the tablet into two pieces.

One half of the image depicted the queen, one king, and many of the lesser 'Trogs'. This piece he set as far from where they were standing as he could reach. Then he took the remaining half, the one with one king and a smaller number of the drones, and set it down closer to their feet.

Kim thought she detected a pattern to his movements.

"And what is right here? What are you waiting for?" She used her fist to pound a tattoo onto the rocky floor.

Nodding his approval at her ability to grasp his story, the Leader took one last piece of slate from the basket and set it before them. Kim had to lift the tablet and squint hard to make out the image in the dim glow of the cavern. She turned it this way and that, attempting to make sense of the carved slate.

When comprehension came, Kim felt sick to her stomach. She had noticed the tiny figures in the beast's jaws... and trampled under its clawed feet... and being shredded by its talons.

"Oh, my..."

Kim and Shego lived in the 'Trogs' encampment for about two days, by her best estimate. Time was still subjective in this sunless world, and was only measured by work and sleep. Kim had performed much of the former and little of the latter. She still didn't feel fully prepared for what she had planned.

In that time, between seeing to Shego's care and well being, and offering some assistance to the 'Trogs', Kim had been making repairs and modifications to the 'Moon Doggie'.

These repairs consisted of making sure that there was indeed some fuel remaining in the storage canister (there was very little), as well as disengaging the throttle. While Kim had friends and associates (and enemies) more capable than she at rocket mechanics, she was always a fast learner and not afraid to do her best.

Her plan was to use the rocket board to propel Shego and herself straight up the walls of the natural chimney and up to the surface. There would be no control of the velocity since there was only enough fuel for a single, prolonged burst. There would be little protection for Shego because she would be secured to the board by lengths of wrapping obtained from the 'Trogs'.

There would be even less protection for Kim; she would have to cut Shego loose before they flew too high after reaching the surface... or if they ran out of thrust and started to fall back.

Kim had moved her base of operations to just beyond the opening to the passage to the chimney. She needed the light for more than just her work on the board; Shego had reacted well to the dietary ministrations of the 'Trogs', but was still very week. Right now Shego was propped up against the rocks with her back exposed to the light, keeping it out of her eyes but hopefully giving her the benefits of its power.

Shego was sleeping most of the time. She would waken for a few minutes, sometimes for as much as an hour, but rarely as long as that. When awake, she was still confused as to where she was. They would talk about events that were relaying themselves in Shego's mind, often resulting in shared laughter and tears.

The time had come for their escape. Kim approached Shego and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." Kim brushed stray hair from her wife's face.

"Mmmm, I like that..."

"Baby, it's time to go. I need to carry you. Tell me I this hurts."

Kim gently lifted her spouse in her arms, just as Shego had once carried her the threshold on their wedding night. The taller woman was as light as a feather. Kim had lifted Shego before, both in battle, in rescue, and in passion; never did the natural born warrior feel so vulnerable.

Shego didn't say another word until Kim leaned her up against the 'Moon Doggie' and began to lash her down. Shego roused herself and looked down at the bindings.

"No..."

"What, baby? Is this too tight?"

Tears were flowing down pale cheeks. "You're not leaving me are you?"

Kim embraced her bride of several years tightly. "Never, sweetheart. We're going home."

"I... I had a dream that you sent me away, told me... to leave and..."

"We're going home. We're going to see the girls and our house and get you patched up. You and I are both leaving together."

Shego made as if to return Kim's embrace, but her arms were already bound.

"I do want to see the girls. If it weren't for the three of you I would have killed myself long ago..."

Seeing and hearing Shego in this condition was making Kim heartsick.

"I just want to see my babies again...!" Shego's voice rose to almost a howl.

Kim clung to Shego's bound form like a second skin. She cradled the taller woman's head in her hands and clamped her lips against Shego's mouth in such a fervent kiss as to make further hysterics impossible. Kim needed a distraction to keep Shego from panicking.

"Baby, what is it that we sing at bedtime?"

Shego had begun fighting against her bindings, but the question made her pause.

"You... you want me to sing that now? Don't you want me to put on the 'Betty Boop' costume first?"

Kim choked on a laugh; Shego's face was so serious. It was through a heartfelt grin that Kim explained what she meant. "No, baby, what we sing for the girls."

"The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout, Down came the rain, and washed the spider out. Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain, And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again."

Since her hands were too securely bound to make the finger-thumb motions, Shego sang and Kim made the motions with her own hands. Kim loved to hear Shego sing; the woman's voice was so clear and strong, even now. Their heads were touching by the time the song was finished.

"Princess, please take me home to our babies."

"You got it. I'll be right back."

Kim had nothing to keep them here except a desire to say goodbye to her protector, the Leader of the 'Trogs'. Shego was calmed now, tightly bound to the 'Moon Doggie' and leaning against the inner wall of the passage. The 'lightfall' was directly overhead; maybe she would benefit from it's meager down pour of sunlight.

Kim quickly made her way back towards the encampment. She was almost halfway there when she felt the ground shudder beneath her feet. In he distance she heard a blast, not from anything incendiary or explosive, but rather from an enormous impact. Kim ran the rest of the way towards the 'Trogs' defensive perimeter.

It was a scene of devastation. The pit as no longer choked with boulders; they had been flung up and outwards in every direction. There were 'Trogs' laying everywhere, some apparently wounded, many probably dead.

Kim felt a pang of sadness and grief in her chest. While she had never grown especially fond of the little creatures during her short time with them, they were relatively harmless and had treated Kim and Shego very well.

And had saved their lives. Kim took off at a run towards the center of Hell.

Without warning, one of the many boulders reared up in front of her. The beast was as dark and vague as the gloom surrounding it. It towered over Kim and bellowed in rage.

Several back flips later, Kim stopped and looked back at where she'd been standing.

Brief impressions flashed across her straining eyes: hulking and bear-like, but bereft of hair or fur. Bloated flesh caked with grime and dust from the tunnel that spawned it. It had no eyes; instead the nostrils were enormous craters that covered most of its face. The monster's ears, the outer folds of which were so convoluted as to mimic the appearance of an exposed brain, were repulsive.

The scream tore from her throat without restraint. The beast was a walking horror, a thousand monster-under-the-bed nightmares rolled into one.

It had sensed her passing and had risen to attack. Having narrowly escaped, Kim watched the beast search for her, twisting this way and that. Apparently homing-in on her scream, the horror opened a maw that was more a wound than a mouth. There were no lips. Long spiky teeth projected randomly from shredded gums, blood smearing the teeth as the creature chewed on its own lolling tongue.

The thing grunted deep in its chest, a subsonic growl that Kim could feel in her own stomach. She wondered if the behemoth was confused, if maybe she could use the advantage to escape.

The grunt was a signal. Moving as silently as an avalanche on trunk-like legs, several other beasts came up from behind the first, joining it. Kim could not count them all in the gloom.

The beasts made a blind appraisal of Kim, and apparently found her appetizing. The first creature shifted forward and...

... and was struck with over a thousand flying crystalline wafers, as sharp as razors and as true as love's first kiss.

The beast clawed at its wounded hide with jagged talons, ripping deep lacerations in its own flesh as a result. Its howl split the air of the cavern. Kim risked a quick backwards glance to see whence came her salvation.

More 'Trogs' than Kim could recall having seen in all her days trapped down here were charging in her direction. Lead by the 'Trog' she had come to think of as the Leader, each and every one of them was brandishing a trowel-spear like the Leader's own.

The vast bulk of the tiny horde surged around her on both sides, but Kim barely had time to duck as she saw the Leader run right up to her, use his sole arm to ram his weapon blade-first into the rocky cavern floor, and vault over her head. He landed, still running, on the ground before her and continued his charge towards the waiting behemoths.

Kim had no breath at that moment to call a warning. She fully expected the tiny warriors to break and shatter upon the monstrous invaders like a wave on breakers. The beasts had sensed the oncoming attack and had hunkered down to better greet the defenders with their slavering jaws.

To a 'man', once they reached a point only a few feet away from certain death, each 'Trog' duplicated the maneuver performed moments ago by their Leader. Planting the blades of their weapons into the ground, he running figures literally vaulted up and forward onto the towering monsters. It was at this point that Kim bore witness tone of the most vicious battles is her young life.

The 'Trogs', using their weapons to gain purchase on the beasts by stabbing into their flesh, climbed up the vile creatures and began to dig. They were digging into the monsters.

Bloody gibbets flew in every direction. The beasts were hampered by the fact that the defenders were clinging to their own hide; to attack the 'Trogs' was to risk damage to themselves. Not that the attack was one-sided. Kim saw many 'Trogs' perish such as was depicted in the slat tablet shown to her.

Kim watched in fascination and horror. The 'Trogs' fought silently, the only sounds they made were of blades tunneling into flesh, or of their broken bodies striking the rocks.

The Leader was no less capable for the loss of his arm. True, he ad to use the weapon as a climbing aid more than his subordinates, but he made is way straight to the crown of the first beasts head and went right to work. His weapon struck down, down into the skull of the living nightmare, until he reached his goal. The beast went rigid, claws flung outward as if hit by a bolt of lightning, and then it toppled.

With barely enough time to run out of the way, dozens of 'Trogs' scattered from the falling corpse. The Leader stood on the back of is vanquished foe and made a half-turn to inspect Kim where she sat, stunned from the ferocity of the attack. As he looked towards her, Kim saw that another beast was fast approaching its fallen kindred. The Leader did not see this and the beast raised its talons to rend the little man.

Without conscious thought, Kim was on her feet and moving, only slowing down long enough to grab two of the trowel-spears from the bodies of her tiny saviors.

She drew her arm back and let fly with the first weapon; her target was one of the flaring nostrils of the lumbering doom and her aim was true. Distracted by the intense pain, Kim attempted to launch herself at the beast.

But her energy and intentions exceeded the grasp of her strength; although not infirm, the prolonged entrapment beneath the earth had sapped her resources greatly. She fell short of the mark and rolled to the feet of the second beast. Kim recovered quickly, using her unexpected position to stab upward into its filthy underbelly.

Its lack of sight did not prevent it from knowing exactly where Kim was. Opening the enormous wound in its face that it used as a mouth, the beast lunged downwards. There it met Kim's weapon, which had been aimed directly at the rapidly descending head. The flat blade sunk deep into the massive skull.

Not wanting to lose her only weapon, Kim found herself hauled to her feet when the bellowing creature reared upright and started to fall backwards. Within seconds, she lay across the chest of her first kill in this netherworld battlefield.

The sounds of death were all around her, but Kim noticed very little of it. The world had gone numb for her, and the gentle tapping on her shoulder was startling.

It was the Leader. He had moved close and was pulling her away from the huge dead thing. Kim let herself be led away from the battle; eventually he noticed that the fighting between invader and defender had spread across the cavern floor. She and her guide skirted the melees, but they often stopped to assist a handful of diminutive 'Trogs' that had lost the upper hand.

They met their foes head on, Kim hitting low and the Leader hitting high. Kim noticed, although without much pride, that she was becoming rapidly proficient in he 'climb / dig' maneuver.

Her guide eventually brought her to the passage of the 'lightfall'.

Once there, he gave her a gentle push, away from himself and away from the death that raged behind them in the darkness. The battle was not that far behind them however, and Kim felt as if she had indeed done her best to repay the 'Trogs' to a small extent for their assistance.

Taking a knee, Kim lowered herself to eye level with the Leader. He was filthy, covered in tattered blood soaked rags of hide, and smelled like loose bowels. His black eyes were piercing in their intensity and what skin she could see through his wrappings was dead white.

Kim threw her arms around the little man in gratitude. She stared to cry with the realization that if she left now, he and his minions were likely going to die. But if she didn't leave now, that was one more second for Shego to be left down here at the mercy of the hideous invaders.

As if sensing her indecision, the Leader gave her a firm shove onto her backside. He used his weapon to point towards her way home, and then turned away. He strode to the battle, which was rapidly moving closer.

Keeping a firm grip on the weapon she'd salvaged from her last fight, Kim ran the short distance to the passage. She still had the strip of cloth that she'd used as protection for her light-sensitive eyes from the last time she'd been here. She lifted this from around her neck and entered the narrow cleft in the rock wall.

There was Shego, propped in the pale sunlight right where Kim had left her less than an hour before. In her reclining pose, albeit lashed to a rocket-powered surfboard, Shego looked just like she'd fallen asleep while sunbathing. In truth, the meager light falling down from the chimney was terribly faint, but it was the first sunlight Kim had seen in many weeks.

Kim wedged the shaft of her weapon in the bindings around Shego; she would need it to cut her wife free when they gained the surface. Kim was going to wrap her arms and legs around the board with all her might, keeping a secure grip on their only means of escape while also providing Shego with additional protection from the rocks. Kim moved to the board.

The beast must have hit the passage so hard as to hopelessly wedge its body into the tight space. It was likely trapped there and would have died, but in doing so it had brought its teeth within striking distance of Kim and Shego. The beast roared at them, slaver and gore spitting from its hideous maw. Kim clung to the board and desperately felt for the throttle with her foot, praying that she could at least launch Shego to safety

The blast was deafening in the enclosed space. The green discharge of plasma was visible through Kim's closed eyelids. When she opened her eyes, she saw the blackened stump where the beasts head had been, smoke still curling from the cooked tissue. Kim also saw a familiar arm wearing the tattered remains of a green and black uniform.

"Princess... can we go home now?" Shego asked, weakly.

Kim gripped the board with everything she had left in her. "Your wish is my command. One express elevator to Heaven, going up."

Shego closed her eyes and smiled.

"I knew that sticking with you would get me to Heaven some day."

One kiss later, Kim found the throttle and the board fired.

To Be Continued... 


	8. Chapter 8

Deep Down

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within (c) The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. All other ideas came from me.

Rating: Rated-R for graphic descriptions of sexual activity between consenting adult females. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is my first "kigo" fan fiction; there is physical love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure. My influences are the writings of (it is with great respect that I make mention of his creations, Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible) and 'Mag' at www.fortheloveofpizza. Her artwork is really beautiful and perfect for this genre.

Chapter VIII Heading For The Light

Having jumped from airplanes, fallen from cliffs, and being thrown through the air, Kim was more than a little used to being propelled at high rates of speed with little or no control. This, however, took the cake.

The remaining fuel from the 'Moon Doggie' was shooting them up the walls of this natural chimney like a bullet through the barrel of a gun. It was fortunate that there was a slight incline or else Kim's back would have been battered and torn by the rock walls. As it was, she would still have some interesting bruises... if they survived.

What had been a faint pinprick of light above them was growing in size and brightness. Shego had lost consciousness shortly after take-off; apparently her limited exposure to the faintest rays of sunlight had been enough to jump start her power, but the effort of generating a plasma blast had been too much for her.

The actual flight time could be counted in seconds, but it seemed like an eternity as they lifted towards safety, riding a column of flame.

Almost without warning, the world exploded in light. Kim was prepared for this and gave a tug on the trowel-spear. This caused a critical knot in the bindings to be severed and they fell away from the board.

Blind and fighting to keep her wits, Kim kicked their bodies away from the board, letting it continue its upward flight. They, on the other hand, were falling back to earth. Kim's only chance was to have pushed them clear of the open end of the earthen chimney.

The breath was driven from her lungs as Kim hit the ground. She rolled a few times, still forming a protective shield around Shego's body. When she came to a stop, she still had a firm grip on Shego, but was face down on something soft and yielding. It was a few heartbeats before she realized that it was grass.

Being trapped underground had forced her senses had become tuned to the limits of her environment. Light, or the lack thereof, was the most obvious. Another was sound. Kim had grown used to the echoes and the oppressive stillness.

Now her ears were being assaulted by the openness of her new surroundings. But then she heard a bird. And then she heard a voice.

"They're here! Up here!"

Kim had never let go of her wife's hand. She crawled closer and embraced the older woman's still form and sobbed.

"We're home... we're home." Kim heard and felt movement all around them, and quickly found that agents of Global Justice were surrounding her. Most were apparently part of the medical division, as she could recognize from their uniforms.

"Don't try to move. Let us take a look at you ad check for fractures. You two landed pretty hard just now."

Funny, Kim thought, didn't this adventure start with a hard landing?

"Shego... see to her first... I feel alright..."

"We'll be the judges of that." The voice was not unkindly, but it was firm and boded no argument. There were hands all over her, including one that wrapped itself tightly around her own hand.

"Kimberly? This is Will. Keep still and let these folks work on you. Don't worry about Shego; she has her own little fan club right now."

"Will... Agent Du. I'm OK, really. I can stand on my own feet." The medical technicians confirmed that Kim suffered no broken bones and that there was no indication of any internal injuries. She was gently helped to her feet and guided towards Shego.

Everyone present was surprised to see Kim using a long spear to help give support to her tired legs. It was an odd thing, almost looking like a weapon, having a sharp spade at the end...

The glare from the sun was still painful against Kim's weakened yes, but she knew that this would quickly improve. Kim spoke to the med-techs administering to the unconscious Shego, giving them her observations from the past few weeks on Shego's deteriorating condition. Although Kim could not see it, the med-techs listened carefully and nodded their understanding. They quickly altered the method of treatment and made plans for getting Shego moved to a Global Justice medical facility for care.

"Kimberly, please let me take you to the ambulance."

"I won't leave her. Please let me ride with her to the hospital."

"Of course. I wouldn't have thought to do otherwise. The med-techs will be bringing Shego along momentarily. They are just fitting her with an IV."

"Kimberly... Kim, 'GJ' will eventually schedule a briefing to record the details of your rescue operation, and also to update our security forces on the source of the subterranean threat. Not to mention finding out how the two of you managed to survive down there for so long."

Apparently sounding too cold and analytical to his own ears, Will softened his tones. "Believe it or not, what I am attempting to tell you is that everyone back at 'GJ' Headquarters is immensely proud of you. We had no idea that what we intended to be a simple rescue would turn into something like you and Shego must have experienced."

Knowing that this was Will's best effort to be comforting, Kim reached out gave him a one-armed hug.

"No big." Kim laughed at herself; old habits never really die, do they? Even after a time of living the life of a homemaker, she was able to fall right back into her role of heroine.

In the act of laughing, Kim caught a scent that was wrong... somehow. She turned in an involuntary motion towards the clustered med-techs. What were they doing to Shego that smelled so bad?

Fighting against the searing pain in her eyes, Kim raised the 'Trog' binding from around her eyes to see what was going on. Squinting through the glare, Kim saw...

... med-techs being swatted aside like flies.

... the beast responsible for the attack dragging its fetid bulk up from the jagged hole that was the opening of the chimney.

... talons he size an shape of scythes reaching for the inert body of Shego, lifting her, raising her towards its slavering maw.

The events were happening so fast, and so silently, that no one would have noticed the attack in time to save Shego. Will gasped, having also turned around, but only to inquire of Kim what was wrong. He'd had no hint of what was happening behind him until Kim had moved.

Will drew his standard issue firearm, but could not fire for fear of hitting Shego. And even though Kim did not see them, there was a contingent of 'GJ' assault agents just a few yards away, armed with both light and heavy armaments. This threat could probably be neutralized with one blast of a stinger missile, but only at the cost of Shego's life.

In no more than the span of a heartbeat, Kim was in motion. Eyes streaming with tears, but only from pain and not from panic, Kim used her trowel-spear to vault over the fallen med-techs and landed right on the shoulders of the creature.

The beast was small, much smaller than the ones Kim had fought against less than an hour before. How it could have climbed the chimney so fast was a mystery, but only its lesser bulk must have permitted it to fit inside.

Kim began to attack the creature with a ferocity that caused it to shriek with anger and pain. Will Du was shocked at the sound; it was if a steam engine was tearing itself apart. Even more shocking was that he could clearly hear Kim screaming down at the beast over the cacophony of its bellowing.

"DON'T... YOU... TOUCH... HER... YOU... DAMN... FILTHY...SON...OF... A... BITCH..."

Each word was punctuated with a blow from the spade of her weapon. Over fifty battle-hardened warriors and medical personnel, each having served their country to fight against evil in all its forms, watched in stunned silence as a 110-lb. woman barely in her twenties beat a raving monstrosity down into a hole in the ground.

One particular blow caused gouts of blood to spurt from one of the beast's massive nostrils. The creature suddenly began lowering itself back into the earth; it had apparently had enough.

Kim leaped away from the nightmare and rolled across the ground. She located Shego where the tall woman had been dropped and quickly dragged Shego to a safe distance.

This was Will had desperately been waiting for. He had not been idle during the pitched attack and finally issued the orders that had been fighting to get around his clenched teeth.

"Close that hole!" Agent Du spoke and fifteen rocket-propelled grenades responded. When the dust cleared, there was nothing left of the chimney opening, just blasted earth.

The next several hours were a whirlwind of activity, with Kim and Shego in the center. The satellite tracking equipment of Global Justice had exceeded all expectations. The progress of the two women had been monitored ever since Kim had gone down into the pit to rescue Shego. 'GJ' had used seismic charts and cave maps to plot a likely point of egress, but at the last stage were forced to wait.

When the signals had remained in a fixed location for a few days, 'GJ' had searched the area for caves and had found many. The problem was which one, if any, the girls might use to reach the surface. When the 'Moon Doggie' had shot from one particularly unlikely looking hole, the rescue team was as surprised as anyone. But they got to work immediately.

The medical staff of Global Justice had made quite a study of Shego's abnormal genetic structure during her tenure with them. They diagnosed extreme vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and a minor infection that was only a concern because of her current weakened state. Shego had lost weight, as had Kim, making the both look worse than they really were, all things considered.

Shego remained unconscious for two days before showing signs of awakening. The doctors assured Kim that this was mostly a natural reaction to Shego over-exerting herself with that final plasma blast down in the cavern. The ministrations of the 'Trogs' had apparently worked wonders.

Kim was also being treated at the hospital; she would have demanded to share the room with Shego regardless. Her own health was much better though she was also under nourished and received a mild antibiotic.

Both women were absolutely covered with grime, taxing the hospital staff's abilities to clean them up. Once their shredded uniforms were peeled away and the layers of caked earth scoured off, Kim and her doctors were given a mild surprise.

In the prolonged absence of exposure to the ultraviolet light from the sun, Kim's skin had become bleached to a pale white color. Other than missing the faint greenish undertones, she could have been Shego's sister, not wife and lover. A few simple tests were evidence enough that she would regain her normal tones after a few days in the sun.

When Kim's eyesight had become strong enough and she could withstand normal light levels without protection, she would spend hours inspecting herself in a mirror. She did this when it was late and she was supposed to be sleeping. She would sneak into the bathroom, careful not to disturb Shego. As bizarre as it seemed, she gained pleasure from seeing this added resemblance to her twin daughters, as short lived and artificial as it was.

There were many visitors, but Kim met with them in a nearby conference room so as not to disturb Shego.

One of the first was Dr. Director. It was she who personally conducted the briefing of Kim's encounter with the 'Trogs'. It took quite a bit of convincing to make the administrator accept that these little creatures were no longer (in fact, never had been) a threat. They were only protecting themselves.

Dr. Director also gave Kim hearty congratulations, although she was much better at it than Agent Du. The older woman wasn't able to stay long, but surprised Kim by given the younger woman a bear hug and tender kiss on the forehead.

"You handled yourself admirably by any standard."

Kim shrugged in her loose-fitting gown and robe.

"Fortune favors the well-prepared. We were able to make he best use of the resources we had."

"Very true, but there was something that you needed most and we couldn't give it to you. It's called hope. You had to make your own."

Dr. Director stood to leave. Kim's family was due to arrive within a few minutes and she didn't want to mix he two halves of her world right now.

"Kim, you have always been one of the most successful non-agents the 'GJ' had." Director caught herself, visibly regretting the word. "That 'GJ' has... but do you understand why the distance between you and the agency has grown?"

Kim nodded. "Yes, I've chosen another life." She had barely noticed the use of the word 'had'. She wondered why it didn't hurt like it would have a few weeks ago.

"Can you guess that maybe you had become a part of what 'GJ' was established to protect? Can you accept that your friends and family, that I and the agents from 'GJ' that you've worked with over the years, love you for what you are, not only for what you've accomplished?"

Kim had a flash back to a particular morning in the kitchen of a house she'd not seen in a long time. She remembered the feeling of emptiness she'd had. But she was sure that she didn't feel that way now. Why not? Kim would have to think about this for a while.

"If I ever walked up to your door and asked to become an agent, would you take me?"

"Faster than you can say 'Jack Robinson'." There had been no hesitation.

Kim smiled and breathed easy. "Than you, but I think I'll stay at home and school for awhile. I'm happy." Kim acknowledged how right that had sounded to her. "Yes, I am happy."

Dr. Director snapped to attention. "Well, now. I must submit your report to the Board of Inquiry for review. I suspect that they will huff and puff over it for a spell but will eventually let the matter rest. If these 'Trogs' as you call them are truly of no further threat, then there is no longer a cause for concern."

The older woman walked to the door of the conference room and paused before leaving. Due to her eye patch, she had to make almost a full turn before meeting Kim's grateful smile.

"I must also see to the overhaul and refit of the 'Moon Doggie'. I understand that you put it to good use and that it was of benefit to you. Very good." With that, she left.

When her family arrived, Kim greeted them outside of the hospital room that she was sharing with Shego, who was still not fully recovered. Her parents, Dr. Mr. Possible and Dr. Mrs. Possible, were there, as well as were Kim's daughters, little Kasy and Sheki. Kim's two younger brothers were there; Jim and Tim, themselves twins, were too choked up to speak.

Kim had made contact with her family within minutes of rescue, but hadn't seen them yet. Only after many assurances that she and Shego were really OK would they agree to give them time to rest. Kim wanted nothing more than to see her children and have her children see their two 'mommies' after so much time apart, but Shego still hadn't fully recovered.

Kasy and Sheki were not at all happy about their mother's new skin tone.

"Mommy pink!" Sheki demanded, as if she could command an instant change.

"I will be soon, baby. This is just for a while. See, I look like you now!"

"Mommy pink soon?" asked Kasy. Sheki held Kim's hand. "Real soon?"

"I promise, I'll be pink again, real soon." This elicited many kisses from the tiny girls.

In the hallway, there were hugs and tears and Kim thought her brothers would crack her ribs they held her so tight. Fighting as they had over the years, as siblings often do, there was only love in the Possible family.

That love had expanded to include Shego as well. The little girls were led into the hospital room only after they had promised to be quiet. Shego had been making signs of waking up for the last hour and Kim wanted their daughters present when it happened.

Shego drifted on a black sea. There was no land in sight and no light whatsoever. Her mind was rebuilding itself as her body had been, and her diminished resources were almost restored. First light and then sound entered her awareness. She was on a soft bed. The lights were dimmed and there were two small miracles sitting beside her.

"Hey... who's got a smooch for Mom?" It was weak and slurred, but crystal clear to those who could listen with their heart, as well as their ears.

Being very intelligent and well behaved children, and understanding that their Mommies had been 'sick', Kasy and Sheki gently snuggled with Shego and dozed with her on the narrow bed.

Shego relished this moment with two of the reasons she had to keep on living. She searched the dim room for the third miracle in her life, her other reason to live.

"Princess..."

Kim moved closer and took Shego's hand.

Kim leaned in closer. "I didn't hear you, baby."

"Thank you..."

Epilog I

Kim spent most of her free time at the hospital for a few days but eventually home life called. The girls needed their Mother and they needed to be back at home. The medical staff, both civilian and those from 'GJ' eventually agreed that Shego could leave in another day.

Shego was an active woman, used to regular exercise; this enforced inactivity was driving her nuts. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this damn room and damn bed and back to her home with Kim and the girls.

She found it odd that she missed the flowers Kim had planted in the yard.

Bored and fidgety as she was, she still heard the door quietly open.

Although her eyesight was now at full strength, it was late and the hospital had dimmed the lights in the corridors so as not to disturb sleeping patients. Shego's room was also kept dimly lit, so the identity of the newcomer wasn't immediately obvious. Shego was thinking of faking sleep so she could avoid unwelcome conversation, but then she noticed who it was.

The red air was pulled up in a bun, leaving only a few loose strands to fell over the tight collar of the white lab coat. A pair of large reading glasses, rarely used, was helping their wearer to fill out data on a medical form attached to a clipboard. The slight form stood at the bottom of Shego's bed, focusing its attention on the medical form.

"Hi, Dr. Mrs. P." Shego greeted her mother-in-law. Even in the darkened room, the profile was familiar and welcome. Kim's mother, Anne Possible, was a renowned brain surgeon. Kim had obtained the necessary clearances to allow the physician access to Shego and her records. Since the marriage of her daughter to Shego, Anne had become very close to Shego.

"So, will I be able to dance the tango again?" Shego wondered why her visitor was so quiet.

The red haired women glanced up at Shego, and then back to the clipboard.

"Hmmm..." She sighed doubtfully.

Wondering what was going on, Shego started to raise herself up to a sitting position when her visitor set down the board and lifted the bed sheets from Shego's legs.

"What..." Shego never finished he sentence because Dr. Mrs. Possible was climbing onto the foot of the bed and had covered herself with the sheet.

"Whoa... whoa! I, uh..." Shego felt the weight of the woman crawling up the bed towards her. Shock restrained her from leaping from the bed or taking action.

Dressed only in a hospital smock, the contact between their bodies was making Shego crazy. She was further stunned to realize that, at some point, her sudden bed mate was crawling up Shego's body within Shego's smock!

If the pale woman had still been attached to a life monitoring system, the nurses' station would have sounded like a Las Vegas casino by now.

In a few seconds, when Shego was certain that the pounding of her heart must be audible from the entire building, the silent visitor reached Shego's face. Their eyes met and the red haired woman claimed Shego's mouth with her own.

Shego was too shocked for words, but then...

Then the fierce embrace was returned, long, pale green limbs encircling the shorter woman's body. The two bodies twisted this way and that, several times coming so close to falling from the narrow bed. There was touching (there, and there) and a few bites, but nothing that would leave serious marks.

Eventually they broke the passionate embrace.

"The doctor" panted Kim Possible "is in."

Shego laughed for the first time in what seemed an eternity, even before their latest adventure together.

"That... was amazing; and a little awk-weird. I do not deserve you, Princess."

Kim sat up on he bed and began to straighten out her disguise. She made a show of primping and arranging her outfit, like a move star leaving the make up table.

"So not the drama. I used my mother's identity badge to get in."

"You mean you stole it?" Shego's jaw became slack. "You stole it!" Shego threw her arm over her eyes in mock sorrow. "My evil influence has corrupted the woman I love beyond redemption!"

Kim giggled and kissed Shego on the cheek.

"I came to help you pack your stuff. Then I'll stay the night. The girls are with Monique tonight. They only let me leave when I promised that I was bringing their 'mom' back with me. The front desk will have questions about how I got in here without signing in, but I can handle anything."

Shego was watching her wife as she spoke, and now had some words of her own to share.

"Kim, what I said a moment ago was true. I really don't deserve you."

Kim started to reply, but was silenced by a pale hand gently covering her mouth.

"For years my life was filled with hate; hate for Drakken, for my family, for the people I stole from, and hate for you. But now I know that the hate was for myself."

Tears begged to flow from Kim's eyes. She let them.

"Then here I am with a family of my own; someone who I'm very proud to call my wife and someone who bore the only children that I might ever have. I know that sometimes you feel trapped at home, and no one would blame you. Blame me, because if anything, I was the one that trapped you."

Kim would stay silent no longer. "If this is a time for honesty, 'trapped' might be a little too strong a word for it."

"Maybe, Kimmie, but do you remember that morning in the kitchen? I said that I would lock you away in an ivory tower? Please understand that the only reason I say such things is because there is nothing more valuable to me than you."

The tall, raven-haired woman was also crying freely. Tears do not hurt if they are out of love.

"When I get out of this room tomorrow, I am your slave for life. Your wish is my command. Do you want the Sun? Do you want the Stars? Say the word and they're yours."

They could both tell that all wounds were healed nicely. They were both ready to return to the world above ground.

"Or maybe a small island nation? Then I could make you a Princess for real."

Kim signed. "I've got lessons starting again in a few weeks, sorry. How about the Moon? I'll take that."

For the second time that week, Kim wondered why everyone wanted to break her ribs.

"You've got it. And if you ever decide to take over the world, I've got your back."

"You are silly. Let's get some sleep."

There was some sleep that night, but not much.

Epilog II

It was a month since Kim and Shego had emerged from the underworld. Home life had returned to normal and routines were reestablished. There was once tiny bit of mystery when Shego said that she had to disappear for a day. Kim wondered if it was some clandestine 'GJ' business, but Shego was home the next morning and didn't seem the worse for wear.

Kim had debated a 'Welcome Home' party for Shego, just as Kim's family had debated having one for Kim and Shego themselves. The only concern was the 'Shego Factor'.

Shego was well known as not being particularly social, but she surprised everyone by making her own suggestion that a party would be nice. She was very specific about the exact date that the party should be held. Family and friends stopped by, including several Global Justice agents, and everyone had fun.

The day ended early because everyone was tired and feeling good for the first time in many weeks. Kim and Shego had cleaned up what little mess remained in the back yard and their daughters were tucked into bed.

Some chaises were out in the yard and there were still a few hours of daylight left; the women were determined to enjoy every last ray of sunshine since their adventure.

"The perfect end to a perfect day, right baby?"

"Eh, not perfect yet, Pumpkin."

Kim leaned up onto one arm. "You having something more planned for this evening?"

Shego didn't move from the chaise, but her hand reached over to stroke Kim's thigh.

"I seem to recall an offer to chase me around the sack. Still game?"

Once inside, they each took turns proving that their stamina levels were back up to full strength.

Later that night, long after the sun had set and the moon had risen, Shego lifted the sleeping form of her young bride from their marriage bed. She gently carried her outside and set her down.

"Kimmie, wake up."

Kim stirred, only slightly startled at finding herself outside. If Shego was with her, how bad could things be?

"What's he sitch?" Kim shivered in the night air, but Shego quickly wrapped a robe around her shoulders.

"Here... this is for you." Shego turned Kim's head until she could see a dark framework standing in the middle of their backyard. It was about nine feet tall and had a large tubular extrusion pointed at the night sky.

"A telescope?"

"Not exactly. I have to return that to the observatory tomorrow. Go look through it."

Kim got to her feet and padded over to the device. It certainly was a telescope, a very large and powerful one. As she lowered her eye to the eyepiece, she could already see that it was pointed at the full moon. The familiar cratered surface of Earth's only satellite was very clear in the lens.

"Remember when you asked for the moon? Here it is; it's yours."

Kim looked back at where Shego stood. "Thanks, I'll take it."

"No I mean it. It's yours." Shego walked over and checked the settings on the digital tracking motor. Then she turned the magnification up to its highest level.

"Look at the north rim of the Plato crater, right above the Sea of Rains."

Confused, Kim looked again.

"Oh, my... SHEGO, you didn't!"

"Guilty as charged."

"How?"

"Remember that plan to fire a laser around the moon using parabolic mirrors? I called in a favor and got a certain blue someone (that shall remain nameless) to fire it up for me."

"Someone will see! Someone will notice!"

"Let them."

Kim looked again, wondering even no if her eyes were playing tricks on her. There on the surface of the moon, carved in letters miles high that were still almost invisible except to those who knew where to look, were written the words:

KIM + SHEGO

Epilog III (the last, really)

The battle was over. Hundreds of his children had perished so that the hive would be safe. It was the way of things. He had been badly wounded, and pondered the cost of his victory

When the Queen chose her suitors from the best of the warrior class, the two Kings would fight to the death for the right to be Sire. When the Leader had lost that duel so many years ago, he lost more than his arm; he had lost his genetic immortality.

Then the beasts came, ravaging thousands of his kindred and slaughtering warrior and drone alike. The Queen was in jeopardy and the hive faced extinction.

Less then a King but more than a General, the Leader had been permitted to contribute to the breeding of more warriors, the offspring of an unprecedented union between he and the Queen. There were never unions other than that between the Queen and the Sire... until now.

Left behind to guard the way of the retreating hive, the Leader and his children built a not-hive, an outpost to watch for the marauders and kill them if they followed. And they waited.

They learned to raid the dwellings of the surface beings. These creatures of the light were very adept at making tools that could kill.

Then came the two not-Queens. They had been weak and close to death, but so much like a Queen as to make his blood burn at the thought of abandoning them to the fates. Once made healthy, the one fought alongside him like ten warriors. He felt sorrow to see them leave, but glad in his heart to have helped them.

There was a moment of dread when the Leader saw two beasts follow the not-Queens in pursuit, but then he saw the larger one die, its head blasted into fragments. There was little hope that the smaller beast would be of much danger, even as he watched it climb after them.

Now he was tired. What few children that survived helped him and their siblings to follow the ancient path towards the hive.

The Leader stopped. He had become aware of a change in the air of the tunnel. Something welcome, something desired...

He could smell the hive. It was close.

Standing away from the offspring that had been assisting him, he began walking forward using only his trowel-spear as support. The rest, bolstered by his determination, followed closely behind. The future lay ahead of them. They would soon be in the loving arms of their Queen.

The End.

Author's Note: There is a repeated theme in a few of the Kim/Shego stories: Kim's role as parent and homemaker have eroded her self esteem and made others see her as something less than her former self. I felt that they (and Kim) needed to be reminded of her value and strengths as lover, mother, and heroine. Those people closest to her needed to be reminded exactly what she was STILL capable of, even after having chosen a life of semi-retirement and raising a family.

Final Note: It was by pure chance that I discovered Kim/Shego fan fiction. I'd never watched Kim Possible nor had I ever red "slash" fiction for that matter. However, I will not deny that its imagery and concept cut right to the hopeless romantic inside me. The strong sensuality, the eroticism, blended with bittersweet introspection, passion, irony and innocent love make what I've seen some of the best material I've ever found on the Internet.

Did it rock? Did it suck? Please let me know at or at http/humbugmst3k. I'd appreciate the comments, please. I already have plans for more stories. Be well! 


	9. Chapter 9

Deep Down / Alpha

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within © The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. You can blame the rest on me.

Rating: PG-13 for combat violence and intimations of a physical relationship and intimate contact between consenting adult females, also some slightly harsh language. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is a Kim/Shego pairing fan fiction; there is love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure, and hopefully some humor. Still set in the same Kigo-verse as my other stories 'Parents' and 'The Stubborn Beast Flesh', this is a sequel of sorts to 'TSBF' and is a tale of self-assurance and rediscovery. Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible are the sole creations of NoDrogs (it is with great respect that I make mention of them).

Rewrite Warning: This is a rewrite of my original version; you've been warned. Now it will better fit within my own personal Kigo-verse as the third story in my 'Who's Writing This Crap' storyline, and hopefully reflect some improvement in style and ability. This was actually my very first Kigo story.

Chapter I / Between A Rock And A Hot Plate

She ran as if her life depended on it. Her calves burned, her breath came in hot, ragged gasps from her chest. Run, run and don't slow down, never stop, never stop…

Never let it catch you.

"Faster, Mommy! Faster!" cried young Kasy Ann Possible.

"Wheelie, please, Mommy?" pleaded her fraternal twin sister, Sheki Go Possible.

"This is Red Leader to base, we are ready for our attack run!" huffed Kimberly Possible, former world-saver, semi-retired, and mother of the two little girls. "Prepare for hyperactive speed!"

She made a slight change in her direction, deviating towards the curb at the end of the sidewalk. She pushed down on the handle of the double-stroller, lifting the front wheels several inches off the ground, making the stroller take an extra high bounce as it left the curb. This made both children scream with delight. Kim kept running, her shock of red hair flowing behind her head except for what was sticking to her neck, damp with sweat.

"Wheeeeeee!"

The stroller returned to earth with a resounding thud after its short flight, the extra-strength shock absorbers taking most of the impact, but not so much that the little girls didn't scream with joy and excitement.

The stroller had been a gift to the girls on their 1st birthday, a marvel of engineering by a good friend of Kim's whose abilities were more geared to the world of computers. Both children could sit comfortably beside each other and the suspension, wheelbase and extended handle had been designed to allow Kim full freedom of motion when she took the girls with her on her daily run.

Already an extremely fit and healthy young woman, once used to strenuous activity but now having settled down to a far less dangerous lifestyle, Kim Possible looked forward to her morning run each day.

She yearned sometimes for the old days and secretly feared that she would become weak and useless before her time. Her family was her life, but even with their love what else did she have to show for herself? So, irrationally convinced that her endurance and fighting readiness were fading, Kim literally hit the ground running each morning. It also gave her more time with her children.

Kim eventually ran into a familiar cul-de-sac and right up the walkway of her home. It was non-descript but large enough for her active children, by no means the largest house on their block. There were flowerboxes, Kim's personal touch, on the front porch and plenty of toys in the yard.

Instead of going to the front door, Kim finished her jog at the side gate of her back yard; like many homes the front door was for more formal use and there was another entrance that was preferred. Rolling her giggling daughters through the back yard, Kim tousled their hair and led them into the kitchen for breakfast.

It was almost 7:00 AM on a warm summer morning and, after several grueling weeks of class work and assignments, Kim had granted herself a nice long vacation away from her collegiate studies. Hers was not a normal life by any definition; rather than attending college, the young woman participated in online seminars and interactive sessions with various professors and trainers. Occasionally she would visit a local facility for evaluations and testing, but her children kept her close to home these days.

Having been forced into young motherhood as a result of an evil genius' plan to ruin her world-saving career, the unexpected pregnancy and eventual birth of her daughters had earned Kim a level of maturity beyond her years. While still in her late teens, the 'girl who could do anything' had indeed done quite a lot in her young life. Some of those things had not been without hardship and pain, but she also had more than enough love in her life to compensate.

The very reason for her extended hiatus away from the global scene was one that he didn't like to think about. The joyous birth of her daughters notwithstanding, Kim knew that it would be some time before she could trust herself again. In truth, there were many people who trusted Kim; indeed, they trusted her with their lives. One of those people greeted the three as they entered the kitchen.

The warmth and affection that Kim felt for this person was slightly shadowed, just like a hand cupped round a candle flame, by a vague pang of sadness. Once fierce enemies, they had often fought to a standstill over criminal activity: one to commit, one to prevent. After years of refusing to accept the possibility of feeling intimate love for another woman, Kim had eventually accepted the other woman's subtle advances and reciprocated with the same degree of love and affection.

Not to mention the really great sex.

Shego was seated at the table, adding creamer to her coffee; her Princess never could make a decent cup.

With the blessings of their respective families, they had become spouses in marriage and parents to their children. It was Shego's DNA, mixed with a retrovirus, that caused Kim become pregnant and to carry their two healthy children to full term. It was this event that bonded them together, heart and soul, forever.

While Kim still carried a trim, athletic build, Shego was more muscular, giving her feminine curves greater definition. Shego was also a few inches taller, had long, flowing black hair with green high-lights, unlike Kim's shorter red tresses, and her skin was a very pale whitish-green compared to Kim's peach skin tones. Add to this the ability to convert sunlight into a plasma field that radiated from her hands and you couldn't have two more apparently different people.

"Momma's up, momma's up…!"

Sheki and Kasy ran around Shego, hugging her long legs and screaming. Kneeling down to plant a gentle kiss on their foreheads, their mom let the girls make their chaotic way to the playroom before breakfast was made.

The two little girls were an ironic reflection of Kim and Shego themselves. Kasy was the more boisterous and adventurous of the two, gravitating towards mud pies and wearing jeans and t-shirts. Sheki, on the other hand, tended to hang back and observe, only becoming involved after careful assessment of a situation. She also preferred to wear very feminine items like dresses with ribbons.

In addition, the children's hair color mimicked that of their parents: Kasy's was fiery red and Sheki's was deeply black and green. The one feature that they shared was the same pale green skin that Shego had, and also Shego's ability to generate plasma fields, albeit very weak due to their youth. Kim would be lying if she said that this didn't occasionally make her feel like an outsider, regardless to Shego's frequent assertions to the contrary.

"Damn, Princess, don't you look all hot and sweaty… how did you know what I wanted for breakfast?" The taller woman was already dressed for 'work', having become an independent freelancer for Global Justice to fill the void left by Kim's absence. Other than a few slight modifications added by Global Justice, Shego's traditional green and black uniform had changed little over time.

Shego embraced Kim and they shared their own special kiss, Kim gently wrapping herself in Shego's long hair, and then ended the embrace with a quick squeeze of Shego's firm bottom. Kim looked up at her with green fire in her eyes.

"When do you have to leave? Can I chase you around the sack for awhile?"

Normally the more aggressive member of their relationship, Shego was pleasantly surprised whenever Kim took a more assertive role in their love life; while by no means submissive, Kim was often more than happy to let Shego take control because positions of dominance made Shego feel more comfortable. Kim had known this long ago.

"No can do, Pumpkin. I could be contacted any second; I've been kept on immediate 'stand-by' with Global Justice for days." She sighed. "You know this."

Kim didn't care for this answer, and made to argue, but Shego raised a preemptive hand to ward off Kim's forthcoming questions.

"And you know that I can't elaborate on the reason why, either. If you can put up with this for just a little while longer, I'll let you have your way with me."

Not being able to make a substantive verbal reprisal, Kim's gaze never wavered as she reached down and touched Shego there, and there…

Shego broke into a broad grin.

"You are feisty this morning! Maybe we can do something before I have to go." They separated and Kim began to collect the items she would need to fix their morning meal.

"Are you making eggs today?"

"Yes, I'm making 'Eggs Drakken' and once I chop and add the green peppers, I'm going to RULE THE WORLD!" Kim turned around and adopted the classic pose of a maniacal tyrant, her hands raised skyward. "Girls! Table!"

"Rulla world, rulla world!" Kasy and Sheki agreed as they ran to their chairs.

"All of my girls are feeling their oats today! Maybe I should ask 'GJ' for some time off." She was eyeing Kim's running shorts with distaste, wishing that they were down on the floor instead of covering Kim's posterior.

As she lightly scrambled the eggs, Kim watched her family at the table; Shego was helping the children with their cereal. The redhead smiled, thinking that this was a far cry from the woman who was once a much-hated enemy. There was a time when Kim only saw Shego smile when certain death was about to befall the young heroine. Now here she was, laughing and playing with their daughters, making funny faces to amuse them, and even going so far as to make the salt and pepper shakers perform a song-and-dance routine.

Making sure that their daughters were focused on eating, Kim struck a much more seductive pose and sauntered over to her wife. She stood quietly behind her spouse and reached from behind to gently cup Shego's face in her hands. While no words were spoken, Shego turned her head so that she could brush her lips across Kim's palm, then wrist, turning her head even further around to lick at Kim's inner elbow.

The latest version of the Kimmunicator chose that moment to chirp loudly, prompting a resigned look from Shego and a disappointed look from Kim; the children kept eating.

"Oopsie, it's the Shegophone!"

Kim's term for the communication device elicited a mild snarl from the raven-haired woman. Holding the device close to her ear, Shego took the call.

"Yes, I'm here. Yes, I… yes… no, I didn't… I said that she doesn't… I'll be right there."

"Let me guess… you are to report immediately and not disclose any details of your mission to a certain redhead who shall remain nameless. Am I right?" Kim set a plate of eggs on toast on the table. Shego stood and gulped down her breakfast.

"I confess to being more than a little P-I-S-S-E-D at the way that one-eyed wench has written you off. I remember when you used to be able to whip anyone, except me, of course, any day of the week."

This comment surprised Kim, but she didn't allow herself to feel hurt. Hadn't she been thinking along those very same lines lately? Shego felt nothing but love and respect for her younger bride, but still the words stung Kim. If she couldn't make herself feel better about it, she would at least make the love of life feel better.

"It's Ok, baby. We both knew that I would have to stay out of the big picture for a while. The girls were only born two years ago, and it's been less than year since the Havo…"

"No, don't say it." Shego met her gaze. "Please don't ever speak about it again."

"But it happened."

"Kimmie, please… don't. I can't handle it."

"Well, regardless, if the world doesn't think that I can save it anymore, who am I to argue? That's just fine with me." She spoke without rancor. "You three are my whole world now."

Shego moved to embrace her.

"You are my world. You rock my world." Shego made a subtle thrust with her hip into Kim's lower pelvis and wrapped her strong arms around the young redhead in a bear hug so tight that Kim was lifted from the floor and had to fight for breath.

"Your fire fills the cold, dead space at the center of my heart. Do you remember how often I threatened to lock you away in an ivory tower? If I could, I'd hide you away where the world would never find you. I'd never have to share you with anyone." Shego breathed deeply the scent of her wife's hair.

"If you had your way, I'd never be free."

"Too bad; I've won and you can't leave me."

"Right; you have me and I'll never leave you. That means that I have you right where I want you." Kim buried her face in Shego's neck and nuzzled.

"Kim, just understand that you are much too important to so many people; people that want you safe." Global Justice could wait; the women stayed locked in each other's arms for some little time.

"I guess I should be happy keeping you in the kitchen. How does 'barefoot and pregnant' sound to you?"

"Didn't know you had a foot fetish." A rosy flush covered Kim's face. "As for pregnant, we'll talk about that some other time. Maybe your old buddy Dr. Drakken still has some 'Shego Cocktail' brewed somewhere, but as I recall the next baby is to be yours."

Shego grinned. Other than a few weekly sparing sessions, this was as close to 'the old days' as they came to fighting. She gave Kim one last kiss and also gave a big smooch to each of their children.

"Later, Princess. I'll do my best to be home for dinner. If the kids are already asleep when I get home, don't wear anything… complicated."

She was gone in a green and black rush, and it wasn't more than a few heartbeats before Kim was already missing her. She sighed and took a bite of her own egg, accidentally spilling some runny yoke on her shirt. Meanwhile, the children had discovered the fun to be had from drinking from the 'wrong' side of their glasses.

Chapter II / Attack Of The Troglodytes

Recent doubts about her present and future aside, Kim didn't let her personal concerns interfere with keeping house. She took her role as 'domestic goddess' very seriously; rooms were cleaned, bills paid, children cleaned, and occasionally Kim logged into her website to check her messages.

At one time her website, as well as her original Kimmunicator, were the best way for her to receive notification of an impending worldwide disaster. The site, however, had long since been reduced to an archive of media articles and testimonials from Kim's past exploits. From time to time, friends and acquaintances would leave her messages, but today there was nothing.

No big.

She returned to her chores while her thoughts strayed to what the ideal kindergarten would be for her children. She'd heard rumors of a place in Westchester County, New York that might be worth looking into. Carrying her laundry through the living room, Kim turned on the television to catch the mid-morning news for some background noise.

"…rupt this program for a live feed from our affiliate in Middleton. Terry, tell us what's happening out there."

"Well, Margo, it seems that a group of unknown assailants have stolen a stockpile of weapons and munitions from the Middleton armory. It is not know at this time if this is the work of terrorists, but the assailants were first observed moving around inside the high-security area with no evidence as to how they breached the perimeter."

Kim froze and stared at the television set.

"There appears to be a large section of disturbed earth, leading officials to believe that the assailants may have tunneled their way up through the ground. We have a camera standing by and can show some of the scenes from outside the perimeter. I have to advise our viewers that the image is a little grainy and we cannot be sure if anyone inside is living or dead…"

Kim's attention was riveted on the screen. Dollars to doughnuts, she'd bet that this was the emergency that Shego had been summoned to deal with.

An image appeared on the television screen, overexposed in the harsh glare of late morning sunlight. Typical army base, Kim thought. Quonset huts, munitions depots, motor pool, large open pit surrounded by dark mounds of fresh earth…

Huh?

Suddenly, there was movement; dark figures were running from the huts and garages. They looked small; were they midgets?

They were apparently making their way towards the open pit but none of them were moving in a straight line, running about in apparent confusion. They were either wrapped in dark rags or whatever it was they were wearing was so tattered and filthy as to make them appear almost bestial. Most of the figures dragged or carried boxes with them; probably weapons.

Then, Kim saw Shego.

The green and black warrior could be seen moving everywhere at once. She was keeping her distance from the weird little creatures, but instead of fighting hand-to-hand, Shego was throwing super-heated plasma bolts. Whenever she struck a direct hit, the dark, ragged things went flying head over heels. It looked to Kim as if the creatures would regroup just long enough to collect fallen comrades, leaving their stolen prizes where they had landed on the grass. If this was supposed to be a weapons theft, it was certainly a strangely executed one.

After what was only a few seconds of real time, all of the creatures had managed to climb or fall down into the earthen pit. With both hands blazing, Shego made as if to follow them, but hung back, apparently wondering if the true threat was over or if she should pursue. At that moment, some unknown force caused the television camera to pitch wildly. When the image finally stabilized, the pit had collapsed slightly and an expanding cloud of dirt obscured any sign of Shego

Kim had sunk down into a seated position on the floor. Her heart felt dead and her blood seemed frozen in her veins. Kim wondered what was making the picture get so blurry, then she realized that here eyes were tearing up.

"Once the base was considered safe, the authorities discovered that base personnel were alive and unharmed, but had been rendered unconscious by some unknown means. Amazingly, there were no casualties and very few wounded. Those rendered unconscious responded to medical treatment immediately. Several cases of grenades and disposable rocket launchers were missing. There were no bodies left at the scene of these mysterious beings, and the fate of an unnamed government law enforcement agent remains unknown..."

The house was silent. In the washroom, the dryer made an occasional ticking noise as the metal cooled after having run a load of clothes. She slowly reached for the remote control and turned the television set off and an empty husk in the shape of Kim Possible sat crumpled in a heap on her living room floor, staring at a blank screen. She stayed like that for several moments.

Then she heard her children playing in the back yard, maybe with their dolls or trucks in the sand box. Kim rose to her feet and walked to the telephone where she made two quick calls.

"Mom, this is Kim. Yes, I was… I was watching. I need to go. May I bring the girls over to stay with you? Thank you. I'll be there very shortly."

"Wade, this is Kim. No, I know you don't know any details yet. Yes, I know that I've been out of the game. Just tell the authorities on the scene that I'm on my way. Please do this for me, Wade. Please and thank you."

Kim ran up to their shared bedroom, taking three stairs at a time. She reached into the closet and found a hanger that she hardly ever glanced at anymore and laid out a slightly worn, but otherwise intact, outfit of clothes: one pair of cargo utility pants and one reinforced Kevlar weave t-shirt hemmed at the midriff. Her high-traction, impact resistant footwear was already on her feet from that morning's run; she could never have found a better pair of running shoes in a million years.

In less than half of an hour, Kim was attempting to explain her presence to the Military Police posted at the armory gates. Without her own Kimmunicator, Kim didn't have the luxury of contacting 'GJ' to obtain the proper credentials. Even her old friend Wade, still a minor but himself an agent in training, no longer had free-reign to assist her.

Kim was becoming desperate to gain access and assist in the search for Shego. Fortunately, help quickly arrived in an unexpected form.

"Officer, I am Special Agent Du, Will Du of Global Justice. Here is my identification. I will be overseeing operations from this point forward, and I will take care of Ms. Possible."

Kim had turned at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. Will hadn't changed much since she had last seen him. For such a young man, Will carried himself with a presence of someone twice his age and was twice as smug too. Kim was surprised to see a few wrinkles around Will's eyes, giving his face a slightly softer look. More than that, she was shocked to see him smiling.

"Ms. Possible… Kim. It's very good to see you again, although not under these circumstances. Please, while there is hope." He offered his hand, which she accepted.

"I've been given full authority to brief you on the situation here and can assure of our support. Now, I'm sure you're more than a little anxious to get started, but we do need to talk first."

Kim was startled at this unexpected development; she took a deep breath and the cloud over her heart lifted slightly. She was going to find Shego and save her, no matter what the cost.

The base of operations was simply the Quonset hut closest to the collapsed pit. 'GJ' technical specialists and field agents were clustered over very pretty elaborate monitoring equipment, only some of which she could recognize. It was odd that those items that she could identify were often used to measure seismic disturbances.

Agent Du led her to a small office furnished with standard military issue desks and chairs, but also a newly installed 'GJ' communication transmitter. The device was already activated and a familiar face greeted Kim as she entered the room.

"Kimberly, welcome." The strong and clipped voice of Dr. Director, chief administrator of Global Justice, was only slightly distorted by the transmitter.

"Hello, Dr. Director. What's the sitch?" Kim perched herself atop a desk while Will Du remained standing.

"At the risk of indulging in a few swift pleasantries, I heartily congratulate you on the success of your personal life since taking your extended leave of absence from the world-scene. That dreadful HAVOK incident was a major obstacle that only you could live through, to be sure." The single eye of the older woman pierced her with its gaze.

"You were a major source of inspiration to many of our younger agents, and the number of new female recruits has never been higher. Not to mention how proud we all were of your accomplishments and the immense debt of gratitude Global Justice, indeed, the entire World, owes you."

At one time, Kim would have responded with 'No Big', but her heart was occupied solely with the prospect of saving Shego. Instead, she nodded her head and said nothing. Kim winced inwardly when the word 'were' was used, the past tense galling her.

"The situation is as follows: for the past several weeks, Global Justice has been investigating thefts of weaponry by unknown forces who have gained access to the various storage facilities by means of traveling underground. After the first few events, we've had our agents, including Shego, on constant standby. They were to report to wherever the next theft would take place. We've been using seismic monitoring sensors in an attempt to alert us of the next event. Apparently, we were right to have done so."

"Shego never told me about any of this" Kim said softly, more to herself than to anyone else. Did they trust her so little these days?

"And she was absolutely right not to. With your status as an independent operative indefinitely suspended, you are technically a 'civilian' and this was a matter of national security." Not wanting to upset or offend the younger woman, Dr. Director temporarily lowered her militant bearing and spoke in tones that expressed genuine empathy.

"Kimberly, it's only because of our trust and faith in you and your abilities that we were are able to bend the rules and be meeting like this at all. You are not the brash girl that you once were. You have been through fire and Hell and have become something so much better. You are also a wife and mother, and apparently perfect at being both, or so Shego would have me believe."

Hearing these words brought tears to Kim's eyes. Then the deeper meaning of what was just said sank into her consciousness.

"You mean, Shego talks about me, about our home life, to you?" Kim would never have imagined Shego actually sharing personal information like that with anybody; Shego was fiercely private about her feelings and about her love with Kim.

"Well, of course she does, dear girl! Not exactly around the water cooler or anything like that, but she's always saying how proud she is of you. You are the most important thing in her life." Again that eye looked into the center of Kim's brain. "Why ever would you have reason to doubt this?"

Again, Kim had nothing to say. The mix of love she felt for Shego, and the disgust she felt at herself or her recent feelings of worthlessness, gave her firm resolve to see this matter through successfully. She would not fail. Sensing this, Dr. Director resumed control of the briefing.

"Agent Du, please outfit Acting Agent Possible with her equipment. There is little time to lose, Kimberly." There was a hint of a salute. "Good fortune and Godspeed."

With that, the receiver was deactivated and Will moved from where he had been hovering near the wall and motioned Kim to following him from the office. They walked to a table loaded with various tools and harnesses and something that looked like a rocket-powered surfboard.

"Kim, the challenge is not that we don't know where Shego is, but we have no easy way to get down to her."

Will held a computer printout to Kim; it appeared to be an aerial representation of the base. There was a large black 'X' marked in the vicinity of the motor pool. There was also a smaller green 'x' several hundred yards to the east.

"The black mark represents the pit, and the green mark is Shego's location. All 'GJ' agents are fitted with a tracking emitter in their field uniforms." Like a magician practicing legerdemain, Will produced a tiny silver button and clipped it to Kim's collar.

"Now we'll be able to monitor you as well." He gestured to several technicians waiting around them. The techs closed in on Kim and they were finished with her so fast that she hadn't even reacted to their presence.

"You are now outfitted with an infrared imaging viewer, climbing gear, wrist compass with chronometer, water-purification tablets and several days worth of protein concentrates." Will let Kim take a moment to inspect the gear herself and familiarize herself with it's operation. He was pleasantly surprised to see how efficiently she did so and had no questions about her competence.

"Now, let me show you this…" Will led Kim over to the 'surfboard'. It was indeed a reinforced fiberglass board, with a small nozzle fitted at the aft end for thrust.

"Since the earth around the pit is so loose, the entire thing could totally collapse at any time or at the slightest disturbance. To that end, we propose that you will 'surf' down the tunnel at a high rate of speed, using the naturally existing contours of the loose soil. You will surface the same way."

"Is this as hydro… um, aero… no, wait… geodynamic as it looks?" Even under the circumstances, she had to marvel at the ingenuity in developing such a device.

"Very. In fact, Dr. Director personally tested it herself a few months ago when she took a recreational leave of absence with Edw… um… never mind." He returned his attention to Kim when he saw her reading something on the underside of the board.

"Was it she that stenciled 'Moon Doggie' here?" This question generated a few muffled snickers from the technicians, causing Will to snap to attention.

"Hm, I don't seem to recall…"

If anything, this brief moment of levity made Kim acknowledge that he had hopes for her success. A few minor adjustments and system checks later, Kim was escorted to the pit. The dark, loose earth was raggedly piled around the opening and, looking down the length of the angled decent, Kim wondered of Shego could see the light from the hole in whatever dank cave she'd become trapped in. Kim shuddered and prepared herself to use the board as the techs had shown her.

"I have two questions, and then I'd better be going. First, you gave me water-purification tablets, but no water. Also, what about weapons? Those little critters I watched on the news report didn't even see human. What do I do if I run into any?"

"As for water, the assailants are using an ancient system of caves that were originally carved from the living rock by the passage of water. You should find plenty of it already down there. As for weapons, the wrist compass has a stunner like the one I used on your friend Ron several years ago." Will smiled at that memory.

"You should be able to stand up to just about anything down there." Will reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Please remember that this is a rescue mission, not a counter-attack. You are to locate Shego and then return to the surface immediately. We have outfitted you with supplies and equipment just in case the 'Moon Doggie' fails to bring you back up. In that event, 'GJ' will devise an alternate plan, though it may take a few hours or days to implement."

Grateful for the unexpected support and assistance from this occasionally annoying agent, and her sudden desire to 'irk' him for old time's sake, Kim stepped forward and gave Will a big hug, accompanied by an equally big kiss on the cheek. It took several seconds for Special Agent Du to compose himself.

"Thanks, Agent Du, for everything. Really; I won't let 'GJ' down." He acknowledged her display of emotion with very little of his own.

"One last item; if for any reason the pit should completely collapse, there is still hope of returning to the surface. Every time these creatures attacked, they apparently made use of the natural cave systems, even though we don't know what methods they used to tunnel to the surface. These caves are likely interconnected and should have multiple points of egress. We may not be able to help you directly but we can monitor your location with the tracking devices."

The time was now. Less than one hour had elapsed from the heart-wrenching image on the television until this moment, but Kim needed to move. Her earlier feelings of hope were slowly being eroded by images of Shego, hurt and trapped, maybe without any hope of seeing daylight again, stuck at he bottom of this awful hole. Kim offered Agent Du a simple salute and climbed on the 'Moon Doggie'.

Standing on the machine much like she would a normal surfboard, Kim placed her hind foot into a stirrup. Her front foot slipped into a smaller, looser stirrup, from which she would steer. With a well-balanced motion, Kim jerked the board up off the ground, pointed the front edge of the board into the mouth of the pit and activated the rocket. In a subdued flash of flame, she was gone.

Will Du stood by the edge of the pit for a moment longer, then walked back to the base to monitor the rescue operation.

Chapter III / Fancy Meeting A Girl Like You In A Place Like This

If not for the infrared viewer making everything, well, so red… Kim could have been 'shooting the tubes' at the beach somewhere.

Although Kim had never been claustrophobic, the experience was bizarre to say the least; the earth itself smelled damp and rank, but not much more than a garden after being tilled. Fortunately for Kim, the remaining aperture of the partially collapsed pit was large enough for her and the rocket-board to glide over and around any obstructions. Kim did her best not to touch or disturb the surrounding soil any more than necessary, lest the tunnel close completely, not only sealing off the only known means of escape, but likely crush her as well. Even so, she was rapidly becoming filthy from the dirt all around her.

She knew that once this was over she would need a nice, long shower. An image of Shego in the shower with her, and their usual caresses, brought her out of her reverie. This was not the time to lose focus. Another image of her entire family, Shego and the children, sharing a bath as they often did, made a lump form in her throat.

It was at this point that Kim noticed something different about her decent. The rocket board was reasonably quiet and she hadn't wanted to make any unnecessary noise, but she was aware of something going on behind her. Not quite a noise, but more like a pressure wave and a slight rumbling in the tunnel.

Glancing behind her, Kim was horrified to see that the tunnel was indeed collapsing; moving almost like a fluid, the hole was being filled behind her by a moving wall of earth. Uncertain about boosting the power of the rocket, Kim instead used what she knew about surfing to gain additional speed. Even if the way behind her was closed, Will's parting comments gave her the information she needed to return her and Shego home.

Something else caught her attention; it was another noise, this time from underneath the board. With her infrared viewers on, Kim could not immediately tell what the reason for the sound was, and then it became clear to her. Although she had started her decent on loosely packed soil, she was now sliding over rock. The board jerked and bucked under her feet, no longer as able to follow her direction cleanly.

Before Kim could think of any way to slow down, speed up, or do anything, the tunnel opened up around her. What had been a sloped chute was now a black void, with nothing close enough to register clearly on her viewer. Kim fell like a stone into the stygian darkness. She thought of her children…

"Princess, wake up. Princess…"

Kim ached all over. She lay on her back and at a very uncomfortable angle, with her neck bent down and her chin pressing against her chest. She'd heard the voice speaking to her, but her thoughts were too muddled to form a reply.

Taking one experimental breath… then another… Kim decided that she was alive, but apparently blind. After several blinks, it was obvious that her infrared viewer was either broken or had been lost, and that she wasn't necessarily blind but that there was nothing to see.

"Come on, Princess, talk to me… please don't be hurt…"

Kim knew the voice to be Shego's and she could also tell from its proximity that Shego was right next to her. Furthermore, the reason that her head was at such an uncomfortable angle was because it was resting on Shego's lap.

"Don't… you know that… you're not supposed… to move an accident victim?"

Shego sobbed loudly with relief and her hand found Kim's face. A second later, her mouth found Kim's mouth. Kim would have preferred to take a few more breaths at this time, but Shego didn't relent. Only after Shego began to cover the rest of Kim's dirty face with kisses could the younger women catch her breath.

"I'm alright, I think. I guess I was out, huh?" Kim had begun flexing her muscles and shifting her body, testing for breaks and damage. She felt intact but very, very sore.

There were a few sniffles in the darkness before Shego's voice returned.

"You could say that. You could also say that while I was sitting here in a nasty pool of who-knows-what, you came flying into this hole in the ground and almost took my head off." Shego was combing her fingers through Kim's hair. Kim felt a drop of water hit her face and wondered if Shego was crying.

"Are you OK, Shego? Are you hurt?"

"Of course I'm not hurt." Shego's voice was slightly muffled and there was a sound as if she were wiping at her face. "You just made such a mess when all of that dirt followed you in here, I got all sorts of crap in my eyes."

Kim decided to let the matter drop. She slowly and carefully rolled over onto her side, then up into a kneeling position. With Shego's help, Kim stood on her own feet. Yes, she was going to be very sore for a while.

"I brought all kinds of survival equipment with me, so let's see if any of it survived the crash." Kim kept looking around her, failing to pierce the black veil of the cavern. "Shego, could you fire up our plasma flame? That should be plenty of light."

"I… I can't."

"Are you sure that you're not hurt? Is there gas down here?" Kim sniffed the air but couldn't smell anything that might explode if Shego 'lit up'.

"No, I said I'm fine… but… I can't generate any plasma, no matter how hard I concentrate."

Puzzled, Kim groped in the darkness, wanting nothing more than to embrace her lover. She located the taller woman, but Shego was rigid, unwilling to accept the embrace.

"What, then? What is wrong?"

"First, you tell me what in the HELL prompted you to come down here after me? This isn't your job anymore, Kimmie! Your job is to be the mother to our children! Who will look after them if something happens to us?"

Shego was almost yelling now, the anger in her voice shocking Kim as it echoed within the confined space and came back at her from all sides. Feeling that her decision to assist in the rescue had been sound, Kim felt a little defensive.

"Hey, who did this sort of thing everyday of the week, and sometimes twice on Sundays? I saw a news report of you in combat with those critters; I was watching the news and thought I had just watched you DIE! No one was going to keep me away!" Kim felt the heat of her own anger rising.

"Even Dr. Director and Agent Du agreed that I was the best suited for this mission!"

"Never everyday of the week, Princess! You had to go to cheerleading practice, remember?" Shego was taunting her now, just like the old days, with words selected to cut like razors.

"I'm the one that made her living by getting myself into, and out of, dangerous scrapes. Some rescue mission this was! Now we're both trapped down here!"

Even without the viewer over her face, Kim was seeing red.

"Did it ever occur to you, Kimmie, that maybe 'GJ' was just hoping to keep you out of their hair? That you might make a bigger mess from being out of practice for so long that they threw you a bone to keep you busy? That now our children will be alone… have to be raised by strangers… hey, OW!"

Still holding her spouse tightly, Kim's embrace had turned into a vicious clench. With all her strength, Kim shoved Shego away from her. The tall woman must have lost her footing in the inky blackness because Kim heard the clattering of stones as Shego slipped and fell over.

"They are not strangers, they are my PARENTS and you know DAMN well how much they love those children and how much they love you and… and why would you say such… such HORRIBLE things like that?"

Kim's legs became weak with anguish and frustration and she sank down to the floor of the cavern. She wept.

Shego roused herself and followed the sound to its source, gently enfolding Kim in her arms.

"Get AWAY from me!" cried Kim through her tears.

Shego did not move away from Kim, nor did she let go.

"Kimmie… I am so, so sorry. Please, please, please…" Shego began rocking them both back and forth, like an infant in a cradle. "Please forgive me."

The rocking and the warmth of Shego's body spoke volumes to the scared and angry little girl buried as deep in Kim's psyche, just as they were both literally buried deep in the earth. Kim let herself be coddled for a few minutes.

"At least shut up if you won't get away from me."

"Forgive…" The voice was barely a whisper; Kim knew she heard tears in Shego's voice this time. They remained in the darkness, holding each other as if their souls depended on it, rocking like frightened children. After what could have been minutes or hours, Kim raised her head and found Shego's mouth with her own. Kim made the kiss short but heartfelt.

"Fancy meeting a girl like you in a place like this."

"Still love me?"

"I'm not sure."

"Shrew."

"Hag."

"Bitch."

"… poopie head."

"Judas PRIEST, Princess, you never could swear." Shego punctuated their embrace with a firm squeeze and let go of her wife. They moved apart but held hands in the darkness and began to think of their immediate situation.

"Let's see if we can salvage any of the stuff that you brought down with you. I couldn't see much of your entrance, but was that a surfboard I saw you riding? It shot out a flame that lit up everything for a second or two."

"Yep, and it's probably the most important piece of equipment I had, except for the viewer." This made Kim pause. "Exactly what did you mean when you said that your plasma wouldn't generate?"

"It's like this: you know that my ability to generate plasma fields with my hands is fueled by my body's ability to store and convert ultraviolet radiation, primarily from the sun, right?"

"That's the textbook answer, but yeah, sure. And?"

"Well, you were watching me fight those creatures on the news, right? Believe me, I wasn't sparing the horses on that fight, let me tell you…" Shego lifted Kim's hand and gave it a little nibble. "Just like when we used to go at it."

"Don't change the subject! What exactly is wrong?"

"What is wrong is that I've apparently used all of the energy that I'd stored recently. Usually just walking around in normal sunlight for a few minutes each day is enough to keep me going without a reduction in power, and sunbathing can keep me topped-off for days. But now it looks like I can't even strike a match until we can find some sunlight. Which isn't likely, down here…" Shego lapsed into silence.

"Wait a minute. We've been together for how long and I didn't know about this??"

"Hel-loo! Sworn enemies, bitter foes! We don't tell each other about our 'Achilles Heel'. Hel-loo!"

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it. So, let's see what equipment we can find in this dump."

After several minutes of blindly feeling about on the cavern floor, the women reached the conclusion that they were in dire straights. The rocket board seemed intact, but since it had only thrust and no lift, they would have to carry it instead of riding it. The water-purification tablets were located, as were most of the food concentrates. The infrared viewer was definitely gone, and probably broken as well. The only other piece of equipment they could use was the wrist compass, but its electro-shock capabilities had been damaged.

"We're lucky to have found what we did, baby. It sounds like I hit pretty hard when I came down."

"You did, Princess. That rocket lit everything up like a flare. I thought… I though you were dead."

Kim knew that Shego hated feeling 'weak' or 'helpless'. These words, Kim also knew, where the closest that Shego ever came to admitting fear or defeat. Love and passion were to be had from by Shego in abundance, but only to a select few, namely her wife and children. Therefore, Kim saw no reason to make Shego suffer.

"Listen to me. We're both alive and healthy. Will Du said that if we follow these caves, we would eventually find a path to the surface. And they can track our movements so they'll know we're OK when they see that we're moving. Right?"

"OK, little Miss Possible, riddle me this: how are we to find our way anywhere when we can't see a blessed thing?" Shego made a noise of derision. "Even SSJ could see how that would be a problem!"

"She has a good point, Father."

"Ghaa! You do that entirely too well!"

"Yeah, it's righteously dark, here, man. Seriously."

"Stop it!" Shego giggled.

"Ok, ok. Let me think about this for a minute. Remember, anything's possible for…"

"Oh, for the love of Mike, please don't start that again!" Shego paused. "Hey, can you do Killigan?"

"Hey, tha rabbet dinna belong to yu!"

Chapter IV / Thirty Days In The Hole

"Shego, tell me about those creatures that raided the armory. What were they like?" As the two women sat back to back on the cavern floor, a few random thoughts passed through Kim's mind as she pondered their illumination problem.

"They were definitely not human, but they were humanoid. They were small, filthy and stinky. Phew! They were roughly two feet tall and hardly put up any fight. I don't think that they could see very well because they kept running into each other. I bet the daylight was too strong for them."

"Did they drag you down here with them or did you follow?"

"…"

"You what?"

"I fell, Ok? I said I fell. They were all jumping down into the pit… I was right behind them when the edges started to break away. I didn't see the need to chase them down here, but suddenly I was falling right along with them." She huffed with frustration.

"Come to think of it, they didn't really seem to care that I was there or not. Once we hit bottom, they disappeared. I heard them run off, and then nothing until you arrived." Shego gave Kim a one-armed hug.

"My hero."

"Nuts, some hero. I can't even..." Kim didn't bother to finish her sentence. There was no point. She felt Shego's arm around her waist, held her lover's hand with their fingers interlocked. She saw how pale their hands looked. She saw…

"Hey! I can see!"

Kim began looking around wildly, turning her head left and right. She was just barely able to make out vague shapes around them, as well as see Shego's recumbent form beside her. If he moved her eyes too fast, it was all a blur, but if she kept her eyes wide open and stared long enough, she could see!

"What do you mean? How can you see?"

Kim raised her hands and slowly moved them towards Shego's face. Sure enough, Shego reacted before they could touch her, taking the slightly smaller hands in her own.

"Kimmie, you're a genius." Glancing around, Shego postulated, "It's got to be some sort of natural bioluminescence. It just took a while before our eyes adjusted to it. It could be a fungus, or… what?"

"Look at the big brain on Shego!" Kim had been smiling with unbridled affection for her mate.

"Hel-loo, graduated High School! Hel-loo!" The women used their newfound vision to make another search of their surroundings for anything that survived Kim's plummet; they found nothing else except for the infrared viewer, which was indeed badly broken.

Deciding that it was time to take action, and with each of them holding onto the rocket-board, they slowly walked in the direction that Shego thought she'd heard the creatures move. Not that Shego was too keen to renew the acquaintance, but that seemed the likely way to find a central passage.

Will Du had been correct; there was plenty of water to be found. After a few hundred feet, there was a tiny spring flowing from between the rocks and it led in the same directly they'd chosen to move. The glowing fungus was more prevalent along the damper areas of the walls and floor, making their way easy to see.

Hours of walking eventually culminated in having spent a day under ground. They frequently came across pools, seemingly clean and pure, but didn't drink until they had taken the precaution of using the purification tablets. Hygiene was limited, and Kim was the only one whose modesty inhibited her willingness to 'relieve herself' in such a confined space. Shego proved that she had no such issues and the only real concern was that they didn't foul their water sources.

The main problem was going to be food. Neither woman had the first clue of how far they might have to travel before they found passage to the surface; if they were down here for too long the concentrates would run out, no matter how much they rationed them. While neither prospect was appealing, they began looking for other kinds of indigenous life that they might eat to survive.

One day of travel became two, then three. In the perpetual twilight of the glowing fungus, sleeping when they were tired and walking once they had rested, they lost track of the passing of time. They found that they never felt too hot or cold either, even with the varying levels of moisture. Air quality was something that they learned to be aware of, however. There were occasional pockets of methane and other noxious gases or just stale air that they couldn't breathe. These had to be avoided.

Still they marched on, almost always in physical contact with each other, often talking of home and family, but never sticking to one topic for too long. Without frequently distracting each other with changes of subject, each risked becoming too heartbroken over being away from their children, Shego as much as Kim.

"K-Kim, wait… I…" Kim had taken the lead this time, so she wouldn't have known something was amiss if Shego hadn't spoken. "I need… to sit down… for a moment."

Kim turned and held her wife, slowly letting them both rest down on the floor of the passage. It had been approximately two weeks since they'd become trapped. The only things that kept their spirits up were hope of seeing their children and families again, and also that their tracking devices were telling the world that they were still moving, and therefore alive.

"What's wrong, baby?" Kim held Shego close. The taller woman was shaking, but her skin wasn't cold or flushed. "Do you feel sick, like you're going to throw up?"

Shego managed to chuckle. "No, Mom. Thanks, anyway. No, Kimmie, I just felt really dizzy all of a sudden. I feel better already, but I can't explain it. Sure, we're both hungry, but I don't think it was hunger that made me dizzy. You're just as hungry as I am… and you've been keeping pace like a trooper."

Kim called a rest break and they each compared all they new about symptoms of hunger, dehydration, albeit very unlikely, as well as poison, infection, allergies or parasites. They could find nothing to point to any of those causes for Shego feeling weak; Kim was careful not to use that word.

There was something, however, nagging at the back of Kim's mind. Then, she remembered it.

"Shego, other than your ability to store and convert sunlight to plasma emissions, has your albinism ever given you any health problems?" Shego had mentioned to Kim how she had received her powers many times.

"Well, after my contact with the meteor, my folks had my brothers and I subjected to all sorts of tests. My genetic structure was altered, but other than a few vitamin deficiencies, I was in the pink… to coin a phrase."

"I think that being stuck down here in the darkness is preventing your body from making something vital, possibly vitamin D. It's created by our bodies through exposure to sunlight. We've both been out of the sun for days, and even though we're both lacking a source of several vitamins and nutrients right now, I'd guess that a side effect of your powers keeps you from making enough of it normally."

"Crap. What can we do?"

"We might not have to do anything. You should still be OK for a few more days. Hopefully, we'll find something for you by then." Kim must have looked pensive and Shego called her on it.

"But we might not." Kim did not answer. She was down here for Shego. She would save the woman she loved, even at the cost of her own life. The march was resumed, but at a slower pace.

Another brief halt was called when Kim put her foot into it, quite literally.

"Ewww!"

"What, Kimmie? Did you step in dog poop?"

"Yuck! Very funny… I think it's a mushroom." Kim crouched down to examine the broad pale caps of the thick growths at her feet.

"You know, we might be able to eat these."

"No way! Those could be poisonous or hallucinogenic; we could trip out or something."

"Somehow I doubt that we have to worry about that… look, see how several of the caps have been pulled off from the stems? Maybe your little friends picked a few for the road when they passed through here."

"Yeah, or maybe they use them to brew toxins to coat darts with!"

"You are one spooky chick." Kim stood up and gave her wife a quick kiss on the cheek. "But I love you. Just what do you know about 'shrooms' anyway?"

"Uh, uh, Pumpkin. What happens at the 'Villain Of The Year Banquet' stays at the 'Villain Of The Year Banquet'."

Careful to ingest only a tiny portion, Kim's guess was fortunately correct; they were edible and she felt no ill effects. In this manner they would be able to stave off starvation as long as the remaining protein concentrates were severely rationed. They collected more mushrooms of that same variety as they traveled.

A string of endless days followed, miles were lost beneath their feet.

Generally, they had been following a straight line; the compass was of little help since 'upwards' might be in any given direction. They had agreed that the better plan of action would be to find the 'Troglodytes', as Shego named them, and then trick, beg or force the little 'Trogs' to lead them to the surface.

The tiny stream of water that had been running along their chosen path for much of the journey suddenly stopped. The narrow tunnel had opened up into what appeared to be an enormous gallery of stalagmites, stalactites and crystal formations. Furthermore, and of much greater impact to their plans of escape, there seemed to be an endless, black subterranean lake on the other side of the stone 'forest'.

Kim decided to call a halt; they had little choice until they could find a way to the other side of the lake. Shego had acclimated herself to the slower pace and seemed to be doing much better, even thought Kim was always by her side.

The 'shore' of this underground lake consisted of tiny, worn pebbles, and the water was as black as Shego's hair; not a ripple disturbed the surface.

"The good news is that we brought our own boat." Kim gestured towards the 'Moon Doggie'.

"And the bad news is…?" Shego was leaning up against a stalagmite, massaging her feet and calves.

"I don't think we should use the rocket thruster to speed our way across. We don't know how big the lake is, so we might not have enough fuel, either to cross the lake or to regain the surface once we find a way upwards."

"You're a buzz-killer, Princess." Shego muttered. "I'm going swimming." Shego was already taking off her uniform.

"In there?" Kim pointed towards the lake, incredulous. "Nothing doing! There might be monsters!"

With a sigh, Shego turned away from the beach.

"No, silly, over this way. Check it out."

Shego walked back up the shore and Kim followed. There was a pool several yards away from the lake, apparently the terminus of the stream from the tunnel. The water seemed to have worn a depression in softer rock before it met resistance and overflowed into the lake, it's original destination. This pool, along with an overhang in the wall of the cavern, created a small grotto.

The luminescent fungus absolutely flourished here; the ambient light was just a little stronger than that of a starlight sky on a clear night. After days of only the faintest glow to light their way, the grotto shone like the full moon to their light-starved eyes. The glow was above, within and even below the surface, illuminating the entire scene.

Since there had been little that they could do about personal grooming before now, other than basic hygiene, Kim was reminded of just how filthy they both were. The idea of a bath, even a cold one, was appealing and she followed Shego. For her part, Shego had already divested herself of her ragged uniform, and was kneeling before the pool, testing the temperature and depth.

"It's not ice cold, but still cool, and I can see bottom. It's no deeper than the local wading pool back home." With that, Shego slid into the water and completely submerged herself. When she resurfaced, Shego floated on her back, totally relishing the support the water gave to her weary body.

"Are you coming in or… what?" Shego looked up at her lover.

Kim was gazing down at Shego, at the pale loveliness of her wife's body, of how her skin shone brightly in the glowing pool, and how Shego's hair spread outwards like a billowing black cloud. The scene was of unearthly beauty. Suddenly realizing what had captured Kim's attention, Shego looked down the length of her body and smiled back at Kim.

"Do you like what you see?"

"Oh, yes. Kim likes."

"And you are waiting for a graven invitation, I take it?"

"Just admiring the view for a moment. Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?"

"Talk is cheap, Princess. Why don't you get your bubble butt in here and do something about it?" Shego cupped her hands underneath her breasts and slowly ran her lands along her tall form, across her stomach and down to her sex, then resting on her thighs.

Kim removed her own clothes; both the fabric and her skin beneath equally caked with grime. She looked up sharply as a low whistle cut through the silence.

"Wow… Kimmie, no one would ever guess that you were the mother of twins." Shego cocked her head to one side. "Except for the boobs. Yep, the boobs definitely have more heft to them than the old days."

Kim felt a little guilty to hear Shego say this, even if she also felt gratified. Giving birth to their twin daughters was one of the best events in her young life but she had been very concerned that she might not regain her figure. It wasn't just to keep her body in fighting trim that Kim had been worried; Kim was ashamed to admit that she could be vain.

She lowered herself into the water, taking a deep breath first. Kim stayed under the water as long as she could to allow the water to break up the dirt on her skin and in her hair. Upon surfacing, Kim threw her hair back to keep it out of her face and to help the water drain out.

Before she could even open her eyes, Shego was upon her.

Buoyant in the shallow pool, their bodies intertwined and they shared a passionate kiss. As if needing each other more than oxygen, their mouths remained locked as their hands visited familiar territories. When the kiss broke, Kim and Shego writhed in a helix of caresses.

Shego, usually a little harsh at first when making love, was gentle this time as her fingers located Kim's tender sex. The penetration was careful and deliberate, finely calculated by the once-criminal mind to make Kim putty in Shego's hands. Kim's muscles contracted around Shego's fingers and held them tightly Shego was glad that Kim was keeping up with her exercises.

While the one hand remained occupied, Shego used her other hand to find the sweet spot that Kim liked to have massaged near her tailbone. The area was very tender and Kim would become totally helpless after a little probing. Probably a result of some old battle injury, Shego thought ruefully. Between breaths of air, Shego gave special attention to Kim's belly using lips and tongue.

Kim had been gripping the sides of the pool with her outstretched hands, eyes raised to the grotto ceiling. During her sexual encounters with Shego, Kim was often embarrassed by her desire to scream at the top of her lungs, especially when she would climax. Shego would laugh heartily at Kim's attempts not to wake their daughters. This time, however, hundreds of feet of packed rock and earth meant that Kim could orgasm as loudly as she wanted.

And she did, repeatedly.

"You got some sugar for me?" Shego made eye contact with Kim.

"You just wait and see." Kim gasped as she caught her breath.

Kim launched herself across the pool, carrying Shego to the other side. Shego's breasts, full and firm, were Kim's first port of call. The fact that it was Kim Possible nuzzling them, more than the act of foreplay itself, always seemed to drive Shego into a slow burn towards ecstasy. Floating against each other, Kim used her knee to gently pry apart Shego's legs. Bringing their pelvises together, Kim used her upper thigh to slowly massage her wife's sex. Then, while Kim's lips alternated between Shego's breasts and mouth, Kim's hands traveled downwards.

While Kim offered her own breasts to Shego, Kim's hands found what she was searching for. A well-placed thumb, slipped deep inside Shego, elicited a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth. With a last suckle at each dark green nipple, Kim lowered her head beneath the surface of the pool and removed her thumb from Shego, quickly replacing it with her tongue.

Shego had long kept her nether region free of hair by means of a severely limited plasma emission. The once smooth flesh was warm against Kim's face, but the hair was growing back and it prickled her nose and cheeks. The former cheerleader had proved herself an apt pupil when Shego began sharing with her the finer points of lovemaking.

The experienced lover had been shocked at how quickly the younger woman had learned to please her partner, and even more so when Kim began to introduce her own unique ideas. This technique had been refined over the years.

At one point when Kim lifted her head for air, she had an inspiration. Taking a deep breath, Kim lowered her head down into the pool and used her fingers to gently spread Shego's labia wide. Taking aim carefully in the pale aura of the glowing walls, Kim blew a hard stream of bubbles up into Shego's sex.

"Ugh… damn, Kimmie… damn…" Shego bucked and went ridged, her legs shooting straight outward beside Kim's head.

The younger woman rose up and moved closer to further caress her wife… and quickly realized that something was very wrong.

"Shego!" Kim yelled into her spouse's face, desperate to know what was wrong.

The woman was taking short, panting breaths, not unlike someone in the throws of ecstasy; unlike a normal orgasm, however, Shego didn't seem to be regaining any control over her limbs. She didn't even appear to be fully conscious, and her eyes were rolled back in her head. Kim took Shego's limp form in her arms and held her lover's head up from the water. Wracked by muscle spasms, Shego was having a seizure.

After fearful minutes being cradled in Kim's arms, Shego's body relaxed and her breathing became slower and steadier. Shego moved her arms and turned her head left and right, as if searching the grotto for Kim.

"I'm here, baby. I'm right here." Kim held Shego as tightly as she ever held their daughters. "Can you hear my voice?"

"…"

Shego made a few false starts before she was finally able to get the words out.

"Still here. You know, there are worse ways to go than being screwed to death."

Caught between a laugh and a sob, Kim held Shego close and buried her face in Shego's hair. The tears came freely. The voice was weak, but Shego was lucid.

"What happened? What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, the bubble trick was new. We'll want to use that for our next swimming party." Shego must have regained some of her strength; she gave Kim a weak hug around the younger woman's waist.

"But then…nothing, until I knew that you were holding me. I saw lights pop in my head and that's the last thing I knew."

"Baby, something is seriously wrong with you, whether it's a vitamin deficiency or what, I thought you were having a stroke just now."

"I did. Didn't you feel it? Maybe my technique is getting a little rusty, but still…"

"DAMN IT, SHEGO…" Kim's level of fear had reached a crescendo. "You could have died in my arms!"

They each thought about that for a moment, letting silence return to the grotto.

"Sorry, Pumpkin. You're right, there is something wrong with me." Shego pulled herself upright, but let Kim continue to hold support her.

"We have to face the possibility that only one of us might make it out of here. That only one of us will see our children again. I don't like to admit defeat; you know how I hate to lose. Death is the ultimate 'game over' for me. I was never afraid of death before I met you, because at that time of my life I had very little to stay alive for."

Shego had regained enough control of her motor function to turn and look Kim square in the eyes. She was still so weak and frail that only Kim kept Shego's head upright. Nonetheless, Kim met Shego's gaze and didn't waiver.

"Now you listen to me. We have both faced death a thousand times, mostly mine at your hands," Kim deliberately said this to provoke a reaction. Shego didn't provide one.

"We each know that every mission comes with ample risk of not making it back home. Remember that old saying, that 'a coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but one'? I came down into this nasty, stinky hole for you… and not just so that we could do the bump and grind at the earth's core!"

This finally snapped Shego out of her funk.

"I love you, Kimberly Ann Possible, I just don't know how well I can keep up with you and I won't let you carry me. If it comes to that, I want you to leave me and continue to look for a way out. Maybe you can send 'GJ' back with help."

Kim didn't speak, just shook her head back and forth.

"Damn it, Kim, you need to listen to me now! I know that you don't like to talk about such things, but you've got to accept reality!" There was a pause for breath.

"I've already set back a lot, and I mean a LOT of money in trust for our daughters. If I don't make it..."

Kim gently placed her hand over Shego's mouth.

"I will say this only once, so please listen carefully. I will not be your widow, and I will not raise your orphans. We are going to sit here until you get some more of your strength back and then we're going to find a way across that lake out there. Do you understand me?"

Kim waited for an answer. Shego wasn't ready to give it yet.

"I said, do you…?"

"YES… yes, I heard you. I just… I… hate being like this, so pitiful and helpless."

Kim was unrelenting.

"So, are we leaving together?"

"Yes, ma'am." Shego let Kim hold her as if she were a baby. Then she gasped.

"Shego, what? Are you OK?" Kim was afraid that Shego was about to have another attack. Shego had been pressing close to Kim and had been slowly moving her arms to embrace the younger woman when she noticed something amazing.

"Kim, look at yourself."

Kim looked down, though it took her a moment to notice what Shego had seen. When she finally realized what it was, she grinned and held Shego even tighter. Here in the dim phosphorescent glow, beyond everything they knew, with fading resources and uncertain hope, Kim stared in amazement at what her bride had noticed.

Their skin was the same shade of pale green.

To Be Continued…

Author's Notes on the Rewrite: Nothing too drastic, just a little clean up and refinement. A few format changes and rephrasing, as well as a few extras that I've picked up since I first started. Please hang around for 'Deep Down / Omega'.


	10. Chapter 10

Deep Down / Omega

Author: The Humbug

Disclaimer: "Kim Possible" and all characters within © The Walt Disney Company and its related entities. Kim Possible created by Mark McCorkle & Bob Schooley. All rights reserved. No profit is being collected from the fiction contained within. You can blame the rest on me.

Rating: PG-13 for combat violence and intimations of a physical relationship and intimate contact between consenting adult females, also some slightly harsh language. If this will offend you, please read something else.

Summary: This is a Kim/Shego pairing fan fiction; there is love and romance between Kim & Shego, as well as plenty of action and adventure, and hopefully some humor. Still set in the same Kigo-verse as my other stories 'Parents' and 'The Stubborn Beast Flesh', this is a sequel of sorts to 'TSBF' and is a tale of self-assurance and rediscovery. Kasy Ann and Sheki Go Possible are the sole creations of NoDrogs (it is with great respect that I make mention of them).

Rewrite Warning: This is a rewrite of my original version; you've been warned. Now it will better fit within my own personal Kigo-verse as the third story in my 'Who's Writing This Crap' storyline, and hopefully reflect some improvement in style and ability. This was actually my very first Kigo story.

Chapter V / In An Itty Bitty Pool

After allowing plenty of time to bolster their strength and spirits with rest, Kim decided to explore the stone 'forest' and ponder the issue of the underground lake. Shego was asleep, so Kim left her in as safe a location as could be found and walked towards the shore.

As she did, she examined her surroundings; the stalagmites and stalactites seemed normal, though she really had no idea what she as seeing; the crystal formations were something totally different in her experience. Whatever the mineral was, it's crystalline matrix caused it to form small, semi-transparent wafers, stacked several inches high. The wafers snapped apart easily, and a small cut on her finger proved to Kim how sharp the edges were. The wafers were in the shape of little isosceles triangles, each one almost the size of a playing card. Kim carefully held a wafer on the palm of her hand, testing its weight.

Struck with sudden inspiration, Kim threw the wafer at a stalagmite several yards away. Upon leaving her hand, the wafer flew straight and true, taking a chip out of the rocky protrusion.

Walking over to collect and examine the wafer confirmed that it was not damaged. With a satisfied grin, Kim began to collect more of the crystal wafers. Now they had weapons!

"Nice shot. Do you have any more of those?"

Kim turned to see Shego walking towards her. The taller woman was only dressed from the waist down, her breasts swaying slightly as she moved. Kim forced herself to not become distracted by the sight.

"Plenty. I wanted to take some when we cross the lake. We have no idea what's in there." Shego nodded her approval and moved closer to the edge of the water.

"How do we plan to cross, exactly? On your board?"

"Yes, using one of the thinner formations of stone to either punt ourselves across, or as a paddle if it's deep, which is likely."

Shego starred at the lake. Kim knew that her wife's sharp mind was assessing the dangers they might face and the vulnerability of their position. Shego acknowledged that they had no choice but to continue to move forward.

"Too bad there isn't any breeze down here. We could use our clothes to make a sail." Shego looked down at her bare chest. "We could have used my bra, if I had worn one. I mean, after all…"

"Don't say it!" Kim chose to take the bait, if only for a distraction.

"Mine are still bigger than yours, anyway."

"Oh, no you didn't!"

Kim ran at Shego and tackled her, though it wasn't really a tackle at all. While Kim appreciated the levity that her mate could bring into this otherwise dire situation, she knew that Shego's attempt at humor was a distraction.

Even in the dim glow, Shego looked awful; the most obvious change was how she was moving. Kim had known Olympic gymnasts and ballet dancers that were less graceful, but now Shego was practically staggering. It was far too dark to be sure, but Kim suspected that the former villain was more pale than usual.

Taking care to collect their few possessions, the women carried the rocket board down to the lake. Essentially a surfboard, the 'Moon Doggie' remained afloat under their combined weight. Shego had agreed to ride in front and watch for hazards while Kim used a makeshift paddle to get them moving.

Since there was nothing on the shore that was exactly 'paddle-shaped', Kim searched until she found a crystalline formation that could be broken away from its base. The heavy, axe-like extension was hardly suitable, but it would have to suffice, and other than the improvised paddle dipping into and out of the water, there was no sound. They found themselves unwilling to speak, as if breaking the silence would provoke forces unseen.

Though Shego normally had as much, if not more, upper body strength than Kim, the pale woman was too weak to make more than a token attempt at her turn to row. This made her sullen, so she rode at the front of the board with her legs drawn up against her chest and her arms locked around them.

After several hours of gliding across the surface, they began to wonder if they had made a critical mistake; there seemed to be no end in sight, in as little sight as was allowed them. At the end of their second day on the water, sleeping in shifts so as to keep moving, the women sat down to discuss their options, including turning back.

Needless to say, space on the 'Moon Donnie' was at a premium. Shego was lying on her back and looking towards the glowing cavern roof far above them. Kim stood on the board, straddling the other woman; with Shego taking full advantage to make any comment she could to provoke her young wife.

"You know, you might be more comfortable if you slipped out of those wet clothes."

"And into a dry martini? You watch too many movies."

"You would know. I seem to recall many a make-out session during an action flick." Shego reached up and caressed Kim's inner thighs.

"Cut it out, you'll make me lose my balance."

Kim lifted the crystal paddle from the water, using it to playfully tap the crown of Shego's head as she switched sides.

The 'Moon Doggie' rocked slightly.

"Careful there, Pumpkin. You'll tip us over." Shego fell into a light doze. Kim had become adept at controlling the their motion and stability in the water over the last two days, and she looked around them into the watery void.

"Shego, I don't think…"

The raft heaved as the water suddenly churned beneath them. Kim dropped to her knees, shielding her wife, while Shego clutched the raft and searched the darkness for the cause of the violent motion; neither woman could see a thing.

A column of gelatinous flesh reared up over their heads, so black that it could have been spawned from the darkness itself. Down in the stygian depths, many forms of life had learned to adapt to a world without light. Whatever the original design of the creature had been, it held no resemblance to anything alive today that lived above ground.

At first a shapeless pillar, the thing rose up from the water to a height of several yards before Kim could see a crown of tentacles grow out from the top, like the branches of a slimy, wet tree. These tentacles were thinner than the main trunk, but quickly grew to a length of seven feet or more.

Kim was shocked to recognize this hideous creature. She had seen one several years before while back in Middleton High School, albeit under a microscope. This beast, or its remote ancestors, must have been hydrae, common enough in lakes and ponds, but never as massive as this.

"Shego, hold on!"

The entire mass began to writhe and twist, like a windmill caught in a hurricane. It lashed down at the helpless women and the apex of main trunk split to form a gapping maw. Without conscious thought, Kim took a handful of the crystal wafers from her pocket and hurled them at the beast. At such close proximity, all hit the target.

They hit and sank into the dark mass with no effect. Did this thing even have normal organs?

"Shego, find the ignition stirrup on the board! Don't hit the switch 'til I give the word!"

In answering, Shego simply let out a scream. This shocked Kim almost as much as the horror she was fighting against because Shego never screamed. Sure, in passion, in battle, at telemarketers, but never out of fear. This steeled Kim for what she knew might be a hopeless fight. She would not let this horror end their journey after they had traveled this far.

It wanted food. What it got was a heavy, crystalline paddle in the mouth.

Kim hadn't waited for the beast to strike. Making certain that Shego was securely hanging onto the board, Kim raised the axe-like paddle and took a swing that would have made Babe Ruth proud. The paddle cut right into the black flesh, meeting little resistance. Kim wondered if the creature had any rigid support structure at all, but she had little time to ponder the question.

Having a form that was designed to grab, hold and feed, the 'mega-hydrae' wasn't used to food that fought back. It heaved away from the board and brought all of its tentacles forward. Carefully avoiding any motion that could capsize their tiny craft, Kim was severely hampered in her options for defense. In essence, fighting this creature wasn't unlike fighting a nest of large snakes. Surely, Kim thought, I've done that at some point.

As unexpected at the attack had been, and as frightening as the creature was, Kim was gaining confidence that she could hold it off; at least until they could find a way to escape the situation.

"Kim! Watch out!"

The unfortunate truth was that even 'the girl who could do anything' just couldn't keep her eyes on over a half-dozen writhing pseudo-pods in such faint light. Kim was able to slice away two of them before one made contact with her shoulder, and then another hit her on the back. She felt a numbness spreading outward from the points of contact. She could still stand, but her limbs were feeling as if they were encased in lead. She knew that she had been stung, poisoned with some sort of venom.

Already finding it difficult to remain standing, let alone swing her makeshift weapon, Kim raised the paddle above her head in a vain attempt to ward off further strikes and protect Shego. All around them the water began to heave and churn as more of the nightmarish creatures rose from the black water.

She barely felt the pair of hands reach up and pull her down onto the board.

Shego had been living her own private nightmare; losing strength and hope, the former villain was caught in a fog of despair. Slightly feverish but not quite hallucinating, her condition was making it difficult to stay focused on her surroundings. The attack roused her, but she found herself unable to take action, not even to assist her beloved Kimmie.

Strength failing, Shego was able to grasp a spark of lucidity when adrenaline coursed through her veins. She had heard Kim say something about the ignition control for the rocket board and she looked down past herself towards the aft end and yes, she could just see the ignition stirrup in the faint glow. Her foot could reach it easily, but she remembers her angel telling her to wait for something.

Of all the people in the world, there was only one other person that Shego trusted; if Kim told her to wait, she would wait. But then she saw the hellish monstrosity hit Kim with it's tentacles, saw her Princess drop to her knees and attempt to use her body as a shield in the hope of saving them.

Shego's mind was clear enough to know that they'd heard this song before.

With a supreme effort, Shego grabbed Kim and pulled the younger woman down. She kicked at the ignition and heard the cough of the engine. The watery cavern lit up like the Fourth of July from the rocket flame and the board was thrust forward, away from the attacking beasts. One last glance back gave Shego a last view of the mega-hydrae that had stung Kim.

The bastard appeared to be on fire.

The 'Moon Doggie' was rapidly picking up speed; soon it was skipping across the surface in the same general direction that they'd been pointed already. Holding tight to Kim, Shego, rolled over and looked ahead. There was little to see and nothing that they could have done about it.

They were both unconscious when the engine of the 'Moon Doggie' sputtered and died. They could not know that they were floating less than twenty yards from a different shore, nor were they aware of the many pairs of eyes that watched their approach with suspicion.

Chapter VI / In The Hall Of The Mountain King

Kim stirred, the morning sun gently touching her eyelids. The faint musk of her body filled her nose, not an unpleasant smell, and she briefly reveled in that twilight between wakefulness and sleep. She listened for the children but heard nothing. Maybe they were still asleep, or playing quietly in their room.

Someday she would indulge herself in the fantasy of sleeping all day, but not today. It must be almost time for her morning run so she needed to wake the girls. Kim rolled over to swing her legs over the edge of their king-sized bed. The bed was actually larger than king-sized, special ordered by Shego for their Homeric sex-play.

Kim rolled over. The soft bed became stone.

The dawn's early light didn't get any brighter.

The dream ended and Kim Possible found herself in a tight, rocky den. She was lying on a mat of cloth, dense and tough but soft to the touch, like felt, and it was impossible to tell if the mat was woven or made of hide. What light there was came from a small portal, a rough-hewn doorway into the cramped space she now occupied. It was the same glow that had illuminated their journey for weeks.

This reminded her of Shego, and Kim made ready to use the doorway and face whatever dangers lay beyond. Giving herself a quick inspection, she reviewed what she could of recent events. She remembered the fight on the lake, and the mega-hydrae stinging her. Things started to get fuzzy at that point, but she also recalled hearing Shego's voice. There was nothing after that, not until the pleasant half-dream from a minute ago.

She was wearing the same clothes hat she'd worn for weeks, and they were still clean from the washing she'd given them before they took to the water. Upon closer inspection her outfit had some degree of care; it appeared to have been patched in several places, stitched with what looked like twine.

Something itched above the small of her back and at her right shoulder blade. Reaching under her clothes, Kim was appalled to find something like wads of dried oatmeal adhering to those areas. Peeling the caked substance away from her skin, Kim also discovered small welts under the stuff; they were mildly sore and itched, not much more than a minor bee sting.

In the modern world of advanced medicine into which Kim had been born and raised, by a mother who was a lauded and accomplished brain surgeon, using a poultice to draw out poison was almost a lost science.

Crawling through the doorway, Kim left the cubbyhole and faced the unknown.

Several shocking points of interest presented themselves to Kim Possible at that moment. First was the cavern she was standing in. There was a large body of water a few dozen yards away at the bottom of a slight decline, making it likely that they had finally reached the opposite shore. The fact that Kim could even see the water from this far away meant that the light here was as strong as they had encountered so far.

Second were the stone huts. Much of the ground level of this stone gallery was covered with tiny structures, each one assemble from stones piled together though she could see one or two made from broken stalagmites, forming a crude lean-to.

Third were the inhabitants. The part of Kim's psyche that was keeping her from screaming explained to her that it was only logical that there be inhabitants, simply because of the existence of stone huts. 'So not the drama', it said.

Standing before Kim and facing her stoically were scores of tiny humanoids. They were not more than two feet tall and wrapped in dark rags, much like the woven mat that she had been sleeping on. Between rents in the filthy material could be seen grimy pale skin and piercing black eyes. Like beads of onyx, the eyes were the only things that were alive and bright about the little creatures, and they were all looking at Kim.

These were the 'Trogs' that Shego had been fighting at the Middleton armory so many days ago. Kim was puzzled at how quiet and still they were; there didn't seem to be anything dangerous about them now. In fact, they were all just standing there, as if waiting for something.

"Um… Hi!"

The 'Trogs' didn't move. Kim would have thought they were carved from stone if she didn't hear an occasional breath. By now fear and apprehension had given way to curiosity, and that was losing ground to anxiety and worry about Shego. Kim didn't have a solid plan of action, but she would not allow this new development to slow her down.

She picked up her foot and took a tentative step forward, then another. Gaining confidence, she edged up to the little men. They really were unearthly in appearance, even if she didn't feel threatened. When Kim reached the edge of the crown, she noticed something else about them… how badly they smelled.

It made her eyes water just standing next to them; it was a throat-clogging stench that made her a little nauseous. Whether the stink was coming from the little creatures themselves, or the vile wrappings they were covered with, Kim could not tell.

Without preamble, Kim heard sounds echoing from deep in the crowd. As she stared into the pale light, she saw movement.

From several yards away, someone was moving through the crowd. This new figure was moving quickly and with determined strides, the other little men silently moved out of it's way, parting like the proverbial Red Sea.

The newcomer was a giant compared to the other 'Trogs'. Kim didn't feel any more threatened because this 'giant' simply stood a head taller than the rest, being closer to three feet in height. The newcomer moved with a commanding presence and the others cleared a path for him that led right up to Kim's feet.

When the newcomer finally stood before Kim, she noted the differences between this creature and it's smaller counterparts. First, there was the greater height, even if it was only three feet tall. Second, thought it was dressed in the same tattered fashion, it was the only creature to act with any sort of motivation. In Kim's book that would make him a Leader, at least until she came across something better.

Thirdly, he was armed… sort of. Kim was slightly shocked to note that this 'Trog' was missing his left arm.

There was only the barest suggestion of a shoulder, but no limb at all. She could only guess at the accident or attack that caused such a wound, not to mention the will to live that this being possessed to survive it.

Held in the crook of his right arm, however, Kim saw that he was carrying an odd weapon. It was much taller than he was, maybe six or seven long, and might have been a spear except that the broad blade at the end had no point. The blade was flat at the end and slightly cupped: it was as if a kitchen spatula had been stuck on the end of a pole. It reminded Kim of a garden spade.

The being stood before Kim; he was as filthy and stinky as the rest, but he was not silent.

"Glesh. N'yung glesh." The wrappings about his head completely obscured his mouth, as was the case for the rest of the 'Trogs' present. Regardless, Kim could hear him clearly. His voice was strong and confident, but that didn't compensate for it not being English.

"Hello? My name is Kim Possible."

The Leader cocked his head, and then shook it in a very humanlike gesture, never taking his eyes off Kim. Under the dirty layers of cloth there was the suggestion of a mouth and very jagged and oversized teeth.

"Voot rinto, glesh." The words came at her more slowly than before, more deliberate. Was he hoping that Kim could be made to understand him? Even Latin and French classes hadn't prepared her for this.

"Please tell me, where is my… where is Shego? What have you done with Shego?" Kim had almost said 'my wife' just now, but guessed that this distinction might be lost on the little man.

As she had been asking these questions, Kim had been raising her hand above her head and also to tug downwards on her own hair; it was an obtuse attempt to visually depict Shego's taller height and longer hair.

With a nod of comprehension, the one-armed Leader turned and walked quickly away from Kim, deeper into the gloom in the opposite direction of the lake. While the language barrier seemed impassable with these guys, the Leader seemed to understand Kim's hand signals well enough.

The crown of little 'Trogs' silently cleared a new path for them and Kim had to jog to catch up; the little fellow sure moved fast on those tiny legs. After several paces, the two of them broke through the crowd and were moving off on their own. The rest of the 'Trogs' were not following. As they moved further away from the 'Trog' settlement, Kim began to wonder if the cavern didn't look brighter somehow. Before long, she was certain that there was some other source of light exerting its influence over the darkness.

Though they had been moving across an open area of the cavern, Kim noticed that their destination appeared to be a partially collapsed wall where the rocky ceiling met the ground beneath their feet. The wall seemed shattered, possibly the result of subsidence from ancient times. It was from between these enormous boulders that a strong light was visible.

Raising her hand to protect her weakened eyes against the glare, Kim noticed that they were about to encounter some strangers. Several of the smaller 'Trogs' were clustered nearby and had apparently assembled a small encampment in the vicinity of the mysterious light, for what reason, Kim could not guess.

Then, Kim saw Shego. She was seated on a mat placed atop a smoother section of the floor, the area softer because the ground beneath them was sandy rather than hard rock. Another mat of the same fibrous material was being used as a shield to protect both the pale woman and the 'Trogs' from the glare.

Shego appeared to be conscious and was talking animatedly to the little men standing around her. Kim could not contain herself further. She out paced her guide and ran to Shego.

"Oh, baby. Are you all right?"

Shego's head tilted up to look Kim full in the face, her mouth parted in a huge grin.

"Hey, Princess! Glad you're home. Did I forget a play date? Whose birthday is it?" Shego's voice was overloud and her movements exaggerated, as if she were drunk or drugged.

"Kim, look… I guess that I forgot to be home for this. I'm sorry, and I'll make it up to you and the kids. But… really, if you're going to have Kasy & Sheki's little friends over to play, you should have given the girls a bath. They're both pretty ripe."

Kim kept moving closer, kneeling down beside the seated form. Shego certainly appeared healthier and more lucid, but she wasn't making sense. As she moved closer, Kim was shocked to see that Shego was actually cradling two of the filthy little 'Trogs', holding one firmly under each arm and they were struggling vainly for release, much to Shego's delight.

"Shego, do you know where you are?"

That question didn't immediately register with Shego. She was too busy tickling her 'captives' under their chins. Shego let go of one 'Trog' and used both arms to lift the other. Upon release, the first little man ran past Kim to stand behind the Leader, and cowered near him for protection.

Shego lifted the backside of the other 'Trog' to her face and sniffed.

"I think Kasy has a poopie diaper." The 'Trog' made no sound, but hung there in Shego's hands with a look of helpless indignation.

Kim reached over and accepted the 'Trog' from Shego. When she set him down on his feet, he joined his cohort in safety behind their Leader. The Leader directed gestures and grunts at them and they subsided into obedience.

"Shego, do you know where you are?"

"Doy! You should know. You planted all the flowers back here." Shego looked around at what she apparently envisioned as their backyard.

"It's getting pretty dark, it might rain." Other than an unexplained lack of clarity, Shego seemed fine, and Kim was able to breathe easier for it.

"Baby, I'll take are of the girls. You stay here and rest."

"Thanks, Kimmie." Shego stifled a yawn. "Call me for dinner." With that, she promptly fell asleep.

A sudden waft of stink alerted Kim that the Leader had sidled up beside her. She looked down to see that he was holding something out to her. Taking it, Kim lifted it closer to her face and noticed with disgust that it was apparently some sort of foodstuff. It was pasty and smelled of fish.

Gaining Kim's attention with a wave of his hand, the Leader pointed to Shego first, then at himself. He took a few staggering steps, then fell over. The entire pantomime was so ridiculous that Kim had to fight against laughter, but the point was being made quite well. Then the Leader took the fish paste back from Kim, pretended to take a bite by raising it to the wrappings around his face, though Kim never actually saw his mouth, and then sprang to his feet and thumped himself vigorously on the chest.

Kim interpreted this to mean that they could tell that Shego was ill, they fed her something with medicinal properties and she was recovering or was at least better off than before, even if she was still a bit disoriented.

Kim leaned down to her sleeping lover and pointed at Shego's head, then raised both hand with palms upwards in a questioning gesture.

How long will she like this?

In a reply that was shockingly human, the Leader held out his only arm with the palm of his own hand up and shrugged.

No way to tell.

Kim sighed and stood upright. For now Shego was as safe here in the care of the 'Trogs' as she would be anywhere.

Glancing around for more details about these mysterious little men, Kim was reminded of the bright light pouring from between the collapsed boulders at the near end of the cavern. Turning around to find the exact source, she started to move in that direction. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she really should leave Shego alone, when she noticed that her guide had already walked around her and was apparently moving in the direction of the light himself.

Using his trowel-spear to prompt her to follow, he walked towards a jagged cleft in the cavern wall. The cleft was a deep, horizontal crack that created a narrow passage out of the main gallery. By the time they had reached the passage, the light was almost blinding to Kim's eyes.

The little man stood off to one side of the jagged opening and set his weapon aside. In a display of skillful dexterity using his single arm, he tore away a length of his wrapping and held it out to Kim. Before she could think of a way to ask her question, he placed his hand over his eyes and pointed his weapon into the passage.

Loath to have the smelly rag touching her skin, let alone her face, Kim still did as he had indicated. Having become accustomed to the dim glow of the bioluminescent fungus for weeks, Kim would have been totally blind in this raging source of light; the cloth would act as protection, much like a pair of goggles.

Leaving her guide behind, Kim entered the passage.

It was just as quiet here as it was in the main cavern, but somehow the light made every breath and every scuff of her feet sound a hundred times louder. After what as only about twenty feet or so, the passage became much too narrow for Kim to follow. The walls closed in a seam that even the smallest 'Trog' could not fit through.

Looking around, it was a few seconds before Kim realized that the source of the light was over her head. After spending weeks being stuck underground and traversing mile of caves and tunnels, Kim had simply lost the habit of looking up. And when she did…

"HAH!"

Kim raised her arm and danced in a circle; that was all the room she had to move in the rock. She cried and laughed and yelled for joy, and then she cried some more.

At a countless distance above her at the top of a natural chimney in the earth, penetrated unknown ages ago by whatever forces shattered the cavern walls, was a thin ray of sunlight.

Momentarily spent of energy, Kim sank down to her knees and thanked the powers that be that they had finally made it this far. They were not saved yet, but her heart was now fully stocked with hope. Shego was going to live. They were both going to hold their daughters again.

Chapter VII / And The Man At The Back Said 'Everyone Attack'…

When she left the 'lightfall' and walked out of the passage back into the main cavern, Kim was unpleasantly reminded of just how DARK this underground world was. Her guide was waiting for her and seemed to have anticipated this; he took he hand and carefully lead her back to the 'Trog' compound while Kim's eyesight acclimated to the dim glow once again.

Letting her eyes drink in what little ambient light existed, Kim again took note of some details of the compound. The 'Trogs' didn't seem to have mastered the use of fire; she'd seen no cooking fires or any flame since she had awakened. They apparently caught and ate fish, some weird species of blind cave fish from the lake, and she could see plenty of drying racks between the tiny stone huts. There also seemed to be small plots of mushrooms in the same variety she had eaten in the tunnels.

Each and every 'Trog' was armed with a battle spade; several were sparing against each other in mock combat, while others were using them to work their meager plots of cultivated earth.

The Leader led her back to where Shego lay, and Kim stopped to confirm that her sleeping lover was still safe. Now that she had located a way to the surface, Kim racked her brain to think of how to get back up there. The only real choice she could see was to climb. But how could she carry Shego all that long way?

Nuts, if only it were as easy to go up as it had been for me to get down…

"That's it!"

Kim took off at a run, leaving her startled guide behind her. She had an excellent sense of direction and over the past few weeks she had learned to adapt that skill down here in a world of almost total darkness. She was soon able to find the alcove where she had been allowed to recuperate from her own injuries. There, leaning a few feet from the door, was the only remaining piece of equipment to survive this long.

Kim took the 'Moon Doggie' and set it down near a shallow pool. The fungus tended to grow better in the vicinity of water and here she would have the best light to examine the rocket engine.

Because of her having succumbed to the hydrae venom, Kim knew that her memory of events out on the lake were incomplete. She didn't remember the rocket board firing up and certainly not reaching this shore and the 'Trog' compound. Therefore, Kim had replaced memory with certain assumptions; one assumption was that the 'Moon Doggie' had been activated somehow and then carried them over the water until it had run out of fuel.

Upon closer inspection, Kim was heartened to see that she was not correct about all things; there was still a miniscule amount of fuel left in the board's tank. She prayed that it would be enough to propel the two of them up the 'lightfall' to the surface. Sure, it was a very dangerous prospect, but nothing was impossible for a Possible.

Her guide had long since caught up with her and had been standing at a respectful distance while she examined the board. Kim only noticed him when several 'Trogs' ran over to interrupt his observations. After a hurried conference of clicks, buzzes and grunts, the Leader ordered them away and they returned from whence they'd come. The Leader glanced at Kim and then back at him retreating minions, then seemed to make a decision.

Again motioning to Kim that she should follow him, the Leader led her away down yet another path through the compound. Once they left the relevant comfort of the huts, Kim saw that they were heading toward a rather barren and desolate area of the cavern that made the compound seem like Eden by comparison.

Here the stone floor was very uneven and Kim could see loose rubble everywhere and she scanned the cavern roof for signs of a cave-in. The Leader tapped the butt of his battle spade to get her attention; once he had it, he pointed to a spot on the stone floor a few yards away.

What Kim saw was a pit, approximately ten feet in diameter. The pit wasn't open, however; it had apparently been choked with boulders and other loose rocks, but it apparently wasn't sealed enough for the dozens of surrounding 'Trogs' to relax their vigilance.

That's when she also noticed the weapons from the armory.

In a rough perimeter around the blocked pit, there were several cases of mortars, grenades, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and mines. This was the 'Trogs' hoard of stolen munitions, apparently the haul of several raids. There were also weapons of the style conceived by the 'Trogs' themselves; battle spades and the razor sharp crystalline wafers could be seen in abundance, as well as several mottled gourds that she hadn't seen before.

Kim lifted one of the gourds and looked it over carefully. She apparently wasn't being as careful as her guide would have liked, because he rapped his weapon on the stones at his feet and took it from her.

"I'm sorry." Kim's verbal apology was automatic but, rather than being angry, the Leader gave her a demonstration of its use.

Singling out a smaller 'Trog' to act as a test subject, the Leader lobbed a gourd at the hapless creature. The aim was perfect and the gourd made impact, bursting in a thick cloud of vapor and the little 'Trog' dropped like a sack of potatoes. Kim was horrified.

"No! Why did…? How could you…?"

The Leader raised his hand for her attention, his odd weapon at his side. With the immediate assistance of several other 'Trogs', the hapless creature was revived and on his feet again in no time.

With dawning realization, Kim knew that this must have been the weapon used on the soldiers at the Middleton Armory; they had been rendered unconscious, but revived quickly and with no after-effects. Looking around her, Kim noticed thousands of gourd-grenades. She shuddered to think of what these tiny creatures were prepared to face in combat.

Kim's trained eye evaluated the defense perimeter and the level of weaponry available. Though she had no clue what the 'Trogs' were on guard against, she was convinced that they felt it to be a substantial threat. She faced the 'Trog' Leader and made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire area. She then made the same non-verbal attempt to ask a single question.

Why?

Again the little man seemed to be making a decision. Then he spun on one heel and walked away from the danger zone, Kim hurrying to keep pace.

Once they had returned to the center of the compound, the Leader led Kim to a pile of woven baskets, crudely made from what looked like root fibers. Inside one of the baskets were several flat pieces of slate. On each of these were drawings and what might have been text, which Kim had no hope of reading, but that didn't stop the Leader from handing them out to her one at a time.

One slate may have been a map of he region; if so, the cave system it depicted was far vaster than anything Kim and Shego could have guessed at.

Another was a scene of compound life, with 'Trogs' fishing and building huts.

One was of enormous, subterranean earthworks. Now Kim saw the value of these battle spades; they were designed to cut right into the earth and heave away both dirt and stone alike, as well as combat.

The next image took some thought to interpret. It showed a pyramid made of 'Trogs' with one very large figure at the top. If the drawings were to scale, it must have been nearly human sized. Below it were two smaller ones, more like her guide, the Leader, in height. Finally, at the next and subsequent levels, were 'Trogs' of the size that Kim had seen the most of.

Kim pointed to the little creatures on the sate, then at several of the live beings working all around them. The Leader nodded enthusiastically, then he reached out with his sole hand and pointed to one of the two slightly larger ones. He thumped his chest and then repeated the motion. Point… thump…

Clearly, that represented his level in the 'Trog' hierarchy. Kim's only question now was about the largest figure. She pointed to it, and then made a show of looking about the compound.

The 'Trog' did not immediately respond to her inquiry. His first action was to lay his weapon down and kneel before it. He then made a series of hand movements that looked oddly incomplete, until Kim realized that a one-armed being could only perform one half of such a ritual. Then, leaving his weapon where it lay, the Leader stood up and pointed to Kim.

"Me? What about me?"

The little man looked at Kim with softness in his eyes. He moved closer to her, oblivious to how Kim was forcing herself not to retch from his terrible odor. He gently reached out and touched her abdomen. Like a thunderbolt, his meaning was clear.

"This…" Kim pointed back to the largest figure, "is a female? This is your… queen? Then you are a… king?"

The 'Trog' removed his hand and performed the same incomplete ritual as before.

Waiting for him to stop, Kim again pantomimed a question.

Where?

His only reply was to take the last tablet from her. Setting the tablet on the earth floor, he grabbed a nearby pebble and gouged a diagonal line across the piece of slate. Having thus scored the stone, he raised the shaft of his weapon and brought it down, efficiently cracking the tablet into two pieces.

One half of the image depicted the queen, one king, and many of the lesser 'Trogs'. This piece he set as far from where they were standing as he could reach. Then he took the remaining half, the one with one king and a smaller number of the drones, and set it down closer to their feet. Kim thought she could see the story he was telling her.

"And what is right here? What are you waiting for?" She used her fist to pound a tattoo onto the rocky floor.

Nodding his approval at her ability to grasp his story, the Leader took one last piece of slate from the basket and set it before them. Kim had to lift the tablet and squint hard to make out the image in the dim glow of the cavern. She turned it this way and that, attempting to make sense of the carved slate.

When comprehension came, Kim felt sick to her stomach. She had finally noticed the tiny figures in the beast's jaws… and trampled under its clawed feet… and being shredded by its talons.

"Oh, shit…"

Kim and Shego lived in the 'Trogs' encampment for about four days, by her best estimation; time was still subjective in this sunless world, and was only measured by work and sleep. Kim had performed much of the former and little of the latter. She still didn't feel fully prepared for what she had planned.

In that time, between seeing to Shego's health and comfort and also offering some assistance to the 'Trogs', Kim had been making repairs and modifications to the 'Moon Doggie'. These repairs consisted of making sure that there was indeed some fuel remaining in the storage canister, of which there was very little, as well as disengaging the throttle. While Kim had friends and associates, and enemies, more capable than she at rocket mechanics, she was always a fast learner and not afraid to do her best.

Her plan was to use the rocket board to propel Shego and herself straight up the walls of the natural chimney of the 'lightfall' and up to the surface. As she worked, Kim smirked ruefully at how many bad points there were to her plan.

One, there would be no control of the velocity since there was only enough fuel for a single, prolonged burst. Two, there would be little protection for Shego because she would be secured to the board by lengths of wrapping obtained from the 'Trogs'. Three, there would be even less protection for Kim because she would have to remain free enough to cut Shego loose before they flew too high after reaching the surface… or if they ran out of thrust and started to fall back.

Kim had moved her base of operations to just beyond the opening to the passage to the chimney. She needed the light for more than just her work on the board; Shego had reacted well to the dietary ministrations of the 'Trogs' but was still very weak. Right now Shego was propped up against the rocks with her back exposed to the light, keeping it out of her eyes but hopefully giving her the benefits of its power.

Shego was sleeping most of the time. She would waken for a few minutes, sometimes for as much as an hour, but rarely as long as that. When awake, she was still confused as to where she was. They would talk about events that were replaying themselves in Shego's mind, often resulting in shared laughter and tears.

Eventually Kim felt that she was ready, and that the time had come for their escape. She approached Shego and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." Kim brushed stray hair from her wife's face.

"Mm, I like that…"

"Baby, it's time to go. I need to carry you. Tell me if this hurts."

Kim gently lifted her spouse in her arms, just as Shego had once carried her across the threshold of their home when they first moved in. The taller woman was as light as a feather. Kim had lifted Shego before, both in battle, in rescue and in passion, but never did the natural born warrior feel so vulnerable.

Shego didn't say another word until Kim leaned her up against the 'Moon Doggie' and began to lash her down. Shego roused herself and looked down at the bindings.

"No…"

"What, baby? Is this too tight?"

"You're not leaving me are you?" Tears were flowing down pale cheeks.

"Never, sweetheart. We're going home." Kim embraced her bride tightly.

"I… I had a dream that you sent me away, told me… to leave and…"

"We're going home. We're going to see the girls and our house and get you patched up. You and I are both leaving together."

Shego made as if to return Kim's embrace, but her arms were already bound.

"I do want to see the girls. If it weren't for the three of you I would have killed myself long ago…"

Seeing and hearing Shego in this condition was making Kim heartsick.

"I just want to see my babies again…!" Shego's voice rose to almost a howl.

Kim clung to Shego's bound form like a second skin, cradling the pale woman's head in her hands and clamping her lips against Shego's mouth in such a fervent kiss as to make further hysterics impossible. Kim needed a distraction to keep Shego from panicking.

"Baby, what is it that we sing at bedtime?"

Shego had begun fighting against her bindings, but the question made her pause.

"You… you want me to sing that now? Don't you want me to put on the 'Betty Boop' costume first?"

Kim choked on a laugh; Shego's face was so serious. It was through a heartfelt grin that Kim explained what she meant.

"No, baby, what we sing for the girls."

'The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout,

Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain,

And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.'

Since her hands were too securely bound to make the finger-thumb motions, Shego sang and Kim made the motions with her own hands. Kim loved to hear Shego sing; the woman's voice was so clear and strong, even now. Their heads were touching by the time the song was finished.

"Princess, please take me home to our babies."

"You got it. I'll be right back."

There was nothing to keep them here except a desire to say goodbye to her protector, the Leader of the 'Trogs'. Shego was calmed now, tightly bound to the 'Moon Doggie' and leaning against the inner wall of the passage. The 'lightfall' was directly overhead and maybe she would benefit from it's meager down pour of sunlight.

Kim quickly made her way back towards the encampment and she was almost halfway there when she felt the ground shudder beneath her feet. In the distance, she heard a blast, not from anything incendiary or explosive, but rather from an enormous impact that she could feel in the ground under her feet. She ran the rest of the way to the defensive perimeter and skidded to a halt when she got there.

It was a scene of devastation. The pit as no longer choked with boulders; they had been flung up and outwards in every direction. There were 'Trogs' laying everywhere, some apparently wounded, many probably dead. Kim felt a pang of sadness and grief in her chest. While they were just a little too alien to fall under the 'cuddly' category, she had grown fond the little creatures during her short time with them; they were relatively harmless and had treated Kim and Shego very well.

And had saved their lives. Kim took off at a run towards the center of Hell.

Without warning, one of the many boulders reared up in front of her. The beast was as dark and vague as the gloom surrounding it. It towered over Kim and bellowed in rage.

Several back flips later, Kim stopped and looked back at where she'd been standing.

Brief impressions flashed across her straining eyes; hulking and bear-like, but bereft of hair or fur. Bloated flesh was caked with grime and dust from the murky tunnels that spawned it. It had no eyes; instead the nostrils were enormous craters that covered most of its face and the monster's ears, the outer folds of which were so convoluted as to mimic the appearance of an exposed brain, were repulsive.

The scream tore from her throat without restraint. The beast was a walking horror, a thousand monster-under-the-bed nightmares rolled into one.

It had sensed her passing and had risen to attack. Having narrowly escaped, Kim watched the beast search for her, twisting this way and that, apparently homing-in on her scream. The horror opened a maw that was more a wound than a mouth and there were no lips, just long spiky teeth projected randomly from shredded gums, blood smearing the teeth as the creature chewed on its own lolling tongue.

The thing grunted deep in its chest, a subsonic growl that Kim could feel in her own stomach. She wondered if the behemoth was confused, if maybe she could use the advantage to escape.

Except that the grunt was a signal.

Moving as silently as an avalanche on trunk-like legs, several other beasts came up from behind the first, joining it. She wasn't able to count them all in the gloom, but she could sense that they were making a blind appraisal of her, and apparently found her appetizing. The first creature shifted forward and…

… and was struck with over a thousand flying crystalline wafers, as sharp as razors and as true as love's first kiss.

The beast clawed at its wounded hide with jagged talons, ripping deep lacerations in its own flesh as a result. Its howl split the air of the cavern and Kim risked a quick backwards glance to see whence came her salvation.

More 'Trogs' than Kim could count were charging in her direction, all of them led by the 'Trog' she had come to think of as the Leader, each and every one of them was brandishing a battle spade like his own. The vast bulk of the tiny horde surged around her on both sides, but Kim barely had time to duck as she saw the Leader run right up to her, use his sole arm to ram his weapon blade-first into the rocky cavern floor, and vault over her head. He landed, still running, on the ground before her and continued his charge towards the waiting behemoths.

Kim had no breath at that moment to call a warning. She fully expected the tiny warriors to break and shatter upon the monstrous invaders like a wave on breakers. The beasts had sensed the oncoming attack and had hunkered down to better greet the defenders with their slavering jaws.

To a 'man', once they reached a point only a few feet away from certain death, each 'Trog' duplicated the maneuver performed moments ago by their Leader. Planting the blades of their weapons into the ground, the running figures literally vaulted up and forward through the air onto the towering monsters. It was at this point that Kim bore witness to one of the most vicious battles in her young life.

The 'Trogs', using their weapons to gain purchase on the beasts by stabbing into the putrescent flesh, climbing up the vile creatures and if they were living mountains and beginning to dig.

They were digging into the monsters themselves.

Bloody gibbets flew in every direction and the beasts were hampered by the fact that the defenders were clinging to their own hide; to attack the 'Trogs' was to further damage themselves. Not that the attack was one-sided; Kim saw many 'Trogs' perish such as was depicted in the slat tablet shown to her.

She watched in fascination and horror. The 'Trogs' fought silently, the only sounds they made were of blades tunneling into flesh, or of their broken bodies striking the rocks.

The Leader was no less capable for the loss of his arm. True, he had to use the weapon as a climbing aid more than did his subordinates, but he made his way straight to the crown of the first beast's head and went right to work. His weapon struck down, down into the skull of the living nightmare, heaving aside bone and tissue alike, until he reached his goal. The beast went rigid, claws flung outward as if hit by a bolt of lightning, and then it toppled.

With barely enough time to run out of the way, dozens of 'Trogs' scattered from the falling corpse. The Leader stood on the back of his vanquished foe and made a half-turn to inspect Kim where she sat stunned from the ferocity of the attack. As he looked towards her, Kim saw that another beast was fast approaching its fallen kindred. The Leader did not see this and the beast raised its talons to rend the little man.

Without conscious thought, Kim was on her feet and moving, only slowing down long enough to grab two of the battle spades from the fallen bodies of her tiny saviors.

She drew her arm back and let fly with the first weapon; her target was one of the flaring nostrils of the lumbering doom and her aim was true. Distracted by the intense pain, the beast lowered its defenses as Kim launched herself at the beast.

But her energy and intentions exceeded the grasp of her strength; although not infirm, the prolonged entrapment beneath the earth had sapped her resources greatly. She fell short of the mark and rolled to the feet of the second beast, but was able to recover quickly, using her unexpected position to stab upward into its filthy underbelly.

Its lack of sight did not prevent it from knowing exactly where Kim was. Opening the enormous wound in its face that it used as a mouth, the beast lunged downwards. There it met Kim's weapon, which had been aimed directly at the rapidly descending head. The flat blade sunk deep into the massive skull, splattering her with yuck in the process.

Not wanting to lose her only weapon, Kim found herself hauled to her feet when the bellowing creature reared upright and started to fall backwards. Within seconds, she lay across the chest of her first kill in this netherworld battlefield.

The sounds of death were all around her, but Kim noticed very little of it. All that she could think of was the death at the end of her weapon, death that she had brought to this creature. The world had gone numb for her, and the gentle tapping on her shoulder was startling.

It was the Leader. He had moved close and was pulling her away from the huge dead thing. Kim let herself be led away from the battle and as her senses returned to her, she noticed that the fighting between invader and defender had spread across nearly the entire cavern floor. She and her guide skirted the melees, but they often stopped to assist a handful of diminutive 'Trogs' that had lost the upper hand.

They met their foes head on, Kim hitting low and the Leader hitting high. Kim noticed that she was becoming rapidly proficient in he 'climb and dig' maneuver.

Her guide eventually brought her to the passage of the 'lightfall'.

Once there, he gave her a gentle push, away from himself and away from the death that raged behind them in the darkness. The battle was not that far behind them however, and Kim felt as if she had indeed done her best to repay the 'Trogs' to some extent for their help.

Taking a knee, Kim lowered herself to eye level with the Leader. He was filthy, covered in tattered blood-soaked rags of hide, and smelled like loose bowels. His black eyes were piercing in their intensity and what skin she could see through his wrappings was pinkish gray.

Kim threw her arms around the little man in gratitude. She started to cry with the realization that if she left now, he and his minions were likely going to die, but that if she didn't, it was one more second for Shego to be left down here at the mercy of the hideous atackers.

As if sensing her indecision, the Leader gave her a firm shove onto her backside. He used his weapon to point towards her way home, and then turned away. He strode to the battle, which was rapidly moving closer, without pause or a glance back at her.

Keeping a firm grip on the weapon she'd salvaged from her last fight, Kim ran the short distance to the passage. She still had the strip of cloth that she'd used as protection for her light-sensitive eyes from the last time she'd been here and she lifted this from around her neck and entered the narrow cleft in the rock wall.

There was Shego, still propped in the pale sunlight right where Kim had left her less than an hour before. In her reclining pose, albeit lashed to a rocket-powered surfboard, Shego looked just like she'd fallen asleep while sunbathing. Kim wedged the shaft of her weapon into the bindings around Shego; she would need it to cut her wife free when they gained the surface. Kim was going to wrap her arms and legs around the board with all her might, keeping a secure grip on their only means of escape while also providing Shego with additional protection from the rocks. Kim moved to the board.

The beast must have hit the passage so hard as to hopelessly wedge its body into the tight space. That was the only possible way that it could have driven its body so deep into the narrow confines of the crevice. It was likely trapped there and would have died, but in doing so it had brought its teeth within striking distance of Kim and Shego.

The beast roared at them, slaver and gore spitting from its hideous maw. Kim clung to the board and desperately felt for the throttle with her foot, praying that she could at least launch Shego to safety before the ravenous monster could rend either of them to bits.

The blast was deafening in the enclosed space and the green discharge of plasma was visible even through Kim's closed eyelids. When she opened her eyes, she saw the blackened stump where the beasts head had been, smoke still curling from the cooked tissues. Kim also saw a familiar arm wearing the tattered remains of a green and black uniform.

"Princess… can we go home now?" Shego asked, weakly.

Kim secured Shego's arms again from where her wife had extricated her arm and gripped the board with everything she had left in her.

"Your wish is my command. One express elevator to Heaven, going up."

Shego closed her eyes and smiled.

"I knew that sticking with you would get me to Heaven some day."

One kiss later, Kim found the throttle and the board fired.

Chapter VIII / Heading For The Light

Having jumped from airplanes, fallen from cliffs and being thrown through the air, Kim was more than a little used to being propelled at high rates of speed with little or no control.

She had to admit that this took the cake.

The remaining fuel from the 'Moon Doggie' was shooting them up the walls of this natural chimney like a bullet through the barrel of a gun. It was fortunate that there was a slight incline or else Kim's back would have been battered and torn by the rock walls. As it was, she would still have some interesting bruises… if they survived.

What had been a faint pinprick of light above them was growing in size and brightness. Shego had lost consciousness shortly after take-off; apparently her limited exposure to the faintest rays of sunlight had been enough to jump start her power, but the effort of generating a plasma blast had been too much for her.

The actual flight time could be counted in seconds, but it seemed like an eternity as they lifted towards safety, riding a column of flame.

Almost without warning, the world suddenly exploded in light. Kim was prepared for this and gave a tug on the trowel-spear, causing a critical knot in the bindings to be severed and they fell away from the board. Blind and fighting to keep her wits, Kim kicked their bodies away from the board, letting it continue its wayward flight.

They, on the other hand, were falling back to earth. Kim's only hop was to have pushed them clear of the open end of the earthen chimney.

The breath was driven from her lungs as she hit the ground and rolled a few times, Kim's slender body still wrapped around Shego's like a protective shield. When she came to a stop, she still had a firm grip on Shego, but was face down on something soft and yielding and several heartbeats elapsed before she realized that it was grass.

Being trapped underground had forced her senses had become tuned to the limits of her environment; light, or the lack thereof, was the most obvious. Kim still wore the protective wrapping around her head that shielded her eyes against the glare or the 'lightfall', and now it was protecting her from the naked sunshine. Kim had also grown used to the echoes and the oppressive stillness and now her ears were being assaulted by the openness of her new surroundings, and she had no protection against that.

But then she heard a bird. And then she heard a voice.

"They're here! Up here!"

Kim had never let go of her wife's hand. She crawled closer and embraced the older woman's still form and sobbed.

"We're home… we're home."

Kim heard and felt movement all around them and quickly realized that they were found that they were surrounded on all sides. Strange hands touched her, but they were gentle and careful in their manner.

"Kimberly, it's Will. Please stay still while we look you over for injuries." It was Global Justice and these field agents were apparently part of the medical division.

"Don't try to move. Let us take a look at you ad check for fractures. You two landed pretty hard just now." His voice was not unkindly, but it was firm and boded no argument. There were hands all over her now and she guessed that his was the one wrapped around her own.

Funny, Kim thought, didn't this adventure start with a hard landing?

"Shego… see to her first… I feel alright…"

"We'll be the judges of that. And don't worry about Shego; she has her own little fan club right now."

"Will… Agent Du. I'm OK, really. I can stand on my own feet." The medical technicians confirmed that Kim suffered no broken bones and that there was no indication of any internal injuries. She was gently helped to her feet and guided back towards Shego.

Everyone present was surprised to see Kim using a long spear to help give support to her tired legs. It was an odd thing, looking very much like a weapon, having a sharp spade at the end. Nonsense, Kim Possible never used weapons!

The glare from the sun was still painful through the wrappings, but Kim knew that this would quickly improve as her eyes became stronger again. She spoke to the med-techs administering to the unconscious Shego, giving them her observations from the past few weeks on her wife's deteriorating condition. Although Kim could not see it, the med-techs listened carefully and nodded their understanding, quickly altering the method of their treatment and making plans for getting Shego moved to a Global Justice medical facility for care.

"Kimberly, please let me take you to the ambulance."

"I won't leave her. Please let me ride with her to the hospital."

"Of course. I wouldn't have thought to do otherwise. The med-techs will be bringing Shego along momentarily. They are just fitting her with an IV."

"Kimberly… Kim, there will eventually be a briefing to record the details of your rescue operation, and also to update our security forces on the source of the subterranean threat. Not to mention finding out how the two of you managed to survive down there for so long." Apparently sounding too cold and analytical to his own ears, Will softened his tone.

"Believe it or not, what I am attempting to tell you is that everyone back at 'GJ' Headquarters is immensely proud of you. We had no idea that what we intended to be a simple rescue would turn into something like you and Shego must have experienced."

Knowing that this was Will's best effort to be comforting, Kim reached out gave him a one-armed hug.

"No big."

Kim laughed at herself; old habits never really die, do they? Even after a time of living the life of a homemaker, she was able to fall right back into her role of heroine.

In the act of laughing, Kim caught a scent that was wrong… somehow. She turned in an involuntary motion towards the clustered med-techs. What were they doing to Shego that smelled so bad? Fighting against the searing pain, Kim raised the 'Trog' binding from around her eyes to see what was going on.

Squinting through the glare, Kim saw…

… one of the subterranean beasts dragging its fetid bulk up from the jagged hole that was the opening of the chimney.

… med-techs being swatted aside like flies without making a sound.

… talons like scythes reaching for the inert body of Shego, lifting her, raising her towards its slavering maw.

The events were happening so fast and so silently that no one else would have noticed the attack in time to save Shego. Will gasped in shock, but only because his gaze had followed that of Kim, attempting to discern what was apparently bothering her. Will drew his standard issue firearm, but didn't fire for fear of hitting Shego. Although Kim could not see them, there was a contingent of 'GJ' assault agents just a few yards away, armed with both light and heavy armaments. This threat could probably be neutralized with one blast of a stinger missile, but only at the cost of Shego's life.

In no more than the span of a heartbeat, Kim was in motion. Eyes streaming with tears, but only from pain and not from panic, she used her battle spade to vault over the fallen med-techs and landed right on the shoulders of the creature.

The beast was small, much smaller than the ones Kim had fought against such a short time ago. How it could have climbed the chimney so fast was a mystery, but only its lesser bulk could have permitted it to fit inside.

Kim began to attack the creature with a ferocity that caused it to shriek with anger and pain. Will Du was horrified at the sound; it was if a steam engine was tearing itself apart. Even more amazing was that he could clearly hear Kim screaming down at the beast over the cacophony of its bellowing.

"DON'T… YOU… TOUCH… HER… YOU… DAMN… FILTHY…SON…OF… A… BITCH…"

Each word was punctuated with a blow from the spade of her weapon. Over fifty battle-hardened warriors and medical personnel, each having served their country to fight against evil in all its forms, watched in stunned silence as a 110-lb. woman barely in her twenties beat a raving monstrosity down into a hole in the ground.

One particular blow caused gouts of blood to spurt from one of the beast's massive nostrils. The creature suddenly began lowering itself back into the earth; it had apparently had enough.

Kim leaped away from the nightmare and rolled across the ground. She located Shego where the tall woman had been dropped and quickly dragged her mate to a safe distance. This was Will had desperately been waiting for; he had not been idle during the pitched attack and finally issued the orders that had been fighting to get around his clenched teeth.

"Close that hole!"

Agent Du spoke and fifteen rocket-propelled grenades responded. Once the dust cleared, there was nothing left of the chimney opening.

The next several hours were a whirlwind of activity, with Kim and Shego in the center of it. The satellite tracking equipment of Global Justice had exceeded all expectations, monitoring the progress of the two women ever since Kim had gone down into the pit to rescue Shego. 'GJ' had used seismic charts and cave maps to plot a likely point of egress, but at the last stage were forced to wait. When the signals had remained in a fixed location for a few days, 'GJ' had searched the area for caves and had found many.

The problem was which one, if any, the girls might use to reach the surface. When the 'Moon Doggie' had shot from one particularly unlikely looking hole, the rescue team was as surprised as anyone. But they got to work immediately.

The medical staff of Global Justice had made quite a study of Shego's abnormal genetic structure during her tenure with them as an independent operative. They quickly confirmed Kim's assessment of extreme vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and also diagnosed a minor infection that was only a concern because of her weakened state.

Shego had lost some weight, as had Kim, making the both look worse than they really were.

Shego remained unconscious for two days before showing signs of awakening. The doctors assured Kim that this was mostly a natural reaction to Shego over-exerting herself with that final plasma blast down in the cavern. The ministrations of the 'Trogs' had apparently worked wonders.

Kim remained at the hospital for treatment, but had been prepared to demand a bed in Shego's regardless. Her own health was much better that that of her partner, even if she was also a little under nourished. Both women had been absolutely covered with grime, taxing the hospital staff's abilities to clean them up. Once their shredded uniforms were peeled away and the layers of caked earth scoured off, Kim and her doctors were given a mild surprise.

In the prolonged absence of exposure to the ultraviolet light from the sun, Kim's skin had become bleached to a pale white color; other than missing the faint green undertones, she could have been Shego's sister, not wife and lover. A few simple tests were evidence enough that she would regain her normal coloring after a few days in the sun.

When Kim's eyesight had become strong enough and she could withstand normal light levels without protection, she would sneak into the bathroom late at night and inspect her new appearance in the mirror. As bizarre as it seemed, she gained pleasure from seeing this added resemblance to her twin daughters, as short lived and artificial as it was.

There were many visitors, but Kim met with them in a nearby conference room so as not to disturb Shego. One of the first was Dr. Director, who personally conducted the briefing of Kim's encounter with the 'Trogs'. It took quite a bit of convincing to make the administrator accept that these little creatures were no longer, and in fact never had been, a threat. They were only protecting themselves from the invading monsters.

Dr. Director also gave Kim hearty congratulations, although she was much better at it than Agent Du. The woman wasn't able to stay long, but surprised Kim by given the younger woman a bear hug and tender kiss on the forehead.

"You handled yourself admirably by any standard."

Kim shrugged in her loose-fitting gown and robe.

"Fortune favors the well-prepared. We were able to make the best use of the resources we had."

"Very true, but there was something that you needed most and we couldn't give it to you. It's called hope. You had to make your own." Dr. Director stood to leave; Kim's family was due to arrive within a few minutes and she didn't want to mix the two halves of the slender redhead's world right now.

"Kim, you have always been one of the most successful 'Indie' operatives that Global Justice had." Director caught herself, visibly regretting the word. "Excuse me; that Global Justice has… but do you understand why the distance between you and the agency has grown?"

Kim nodded. She had barely noticed the use of the word 'had' and wondered why it didn't hurt like it would have just a few weeks ago.

"Yes, I've chosen another life. I needed time to recover and you've given me the rest of my life to find my way in the world. I can never thank you enough for that."

"Surely you realize that I'm not simply referring to that dreadful 'Havok' incident? You owe us nothing except to be a parent to that family that you've created."

The militant woman signed; this was a more touchy feely that she was comfortable with.

"Would you believe me if I told you that you have become a part of what 'GJ' was established to protect? Can you accept that your friends and family just want you kept safe from harm? It is we that owe you for everything."

Kim had a flash back to a particular morning in the kitchen of a house she'd not seen in a long time. She remembered the feeling of emptiness she'd had. But she was sure that she didn't feel that way now. Why not? Kim would have to think about this for a while.

"It's been a long time since that day when I took your combat training evaluation back at the 'GJ' facility in town. I know how things have changed with me since then, but if I were to return to Global Justice for some college level courses, would the original curriculum still be available to me?"

"Absolutely."

"And if I ever asked to be considered for training as a Probationary Agent, would you take me?"

"Most certainly, yes."

"How about if I wished to remain an 'Indie'? Would I still be able to work with 'GJ' from time to time?"

"We would call you or 'beep' you if we wanted to reach you."

Kim smiled.

"And if I never wanted to personally fight crime or save the world again, what then?"

"You would still receive birthday and holiday cards from me and be welcome to attend the Global Justice annual open house and bake sale on the first Saturday of every June."

"Let me get my family business back in order after this little 'sitch and I'll let you know." Her smile of gratitude was genuine. "Thank you."

Dr. Director snapped to attention.

"Well, now, can't stand around here all day. I must submit your report to the Board of Inquiry for review. I suspect that they will huff and puff over it for a spell but will eventually let the matter rest. If these 'Trogs' as you call them are truly of no further threat, then there is no longer a cause for concern."

The woman walked to the door of the conference room and paused before leaving. Due to her eye patch, she had to make almost a full turn before meeting Kim's grateful smile.

"I must also see to the overhaul and refit of the 'Moon Doggie'. I understand that you put it to good use and that it was of benefit to you. I hope to make use of it again myself soon for, um, more recreational purposes."

With that, she left. Kim's family arrived moments later and she met them in the hallway so as not to disturb Shego; the warrior was still unconscious, but expected to awake at any time.

Kim had made contact with her family within minutes of rescue, but hadn't seen any of them yet, so Dr. Mr. and Dr. Mrs. Possible brought both of Kim's daughters to the hospital, as well as Kim's brothers, also twins, so that everyone could see how well the redhead had recovered.

Kasy and Sheki were not happy about their mother's new skin tone.

"See, I look just like you and Mom now!"

"Mommy pink!" Sheki demanded, as if she could command an instant change.

"I will be soon, baby. This is just for a while."

"PINK!" A tantrum had to be avoided, and quickly.

"Mommy pink soon?" asked Kasy. Sheki held Kim's hand. "Real soon?"

"I promise, I'll be pink again, real soon." This elicited many kisses from the tiny girls.

In the hallway there were hugs and tears and Kim thought her brothers would crack her ribs they held her so tight. Fighting as they had over the years, as siblings often do, there was only love in the Possible family; a love had expanded to include Shego as well.

The little girls were led into the hospital room only after they had promised to be quiet. Shego had been making signs of waking up for the last hour and Kim wanted their daughters present when it happened.

Shego drifted on a black sea, with no land in sight and no light whatsoever. Her mind was rebuilding itself as her body had been, and her diminished resources were almost restored. First light and then sound entered her awareness. She was on a soft bed and there was very little light, the room kept in shadow; there was enough light, however, to see the two small miracles sitting beside her.

"Hey… who's got a smooch for Mom?" It was weak and slurred, but crystal clear to those who could listen with their heart, as well as their ears.

Being very intelligent and well behaved children, and understanding that their Mommies had been 'sick', Kasy and Sheki gently snuggled with Shego and dozed with her on the narrow bed.

Shego relished this moment with two of the reasons she had to keep on living. She searched the dim room for the third miracle in her life, her other reason to live.

"Princess…"

Kim moved closer and took Shego's hand.

"…"

Kim leaned in closer.

"I didn't hear you, baby."

"Thank you…"

The Epilog That Would Not Die

Kim spent most of her free time at the hospital for a few days but eventually home life called; the girls needed their Mother and Kim needed to be back at home. The medical staff, both civilian and those from 'GJ' eventually agreed that Shego could leave in another day. Shego was an active woman, used to regular exercise; this enforced inactivity was driving her nuts. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this damn room and damn bed and back to her home with Kim and the girls.

She found it odd that she missed the flowers Kim had planted in the yard. Bored and fidgety as she was, she still heard the door quietly open.

Although her eyesight was now at full strength, it was late and the hospital had dimmed the lights in the corridors so as not to disturb sleeping patients. Shego's room was also kept dimly lit, so the identity of the newcomer wasn't immediately obvious. Shego contemplated pretending to sleep so as to avoid unwelcome conversation, but then she noticed who it was.

The red air was pulled up in a bun, leaving only a few loose strands to fall over the tight collar of the white lab coat. A pair of large reading glasses was helping their wearer to fill out data on a medical form attached to a clipboard. The slight form stood at the bottom of Shego's bed, focusing its attention on the form and tapping the erasure of a pencil against her teeth.

"Hi, Dr. Mrs. P."

Even in the darkened room, the profile was familiar and welcome. Anne Possible was a renowned brain surgeon and while Shego's malady was neither serious anymore nor in Anne's field of expertise, Kim had obtained the clearance necessary to allow the physician access to Shego and her records. Since the events from a year ago, Anne had become much closer to Shego.

"So, will I be able to dance the tango again?"

Shego wondered why her visitor was so quiet. The red haired women glanced up at Shego, and then back to the clipboard.

"Hmmm…" The sigh sounded doubtful.

Wondering what was going on, Shego started to raise herself up to a sitting position when her visitor set down the board and lifted the bed sheets from Shego's legs.

"What…"

Shego never finished he sentence because Dr. Mrs. Possible was climbing onto the foot of the bed and had covered herself with the sheet.

"Whoa… whoa! I, uh…" Shego felt the weight of the woman crawling up the bed towards her. Shock restrained her from leaping from the bed or taking action.

Dressed only in a hospital smock, the contact between their bodies was making Shego crazy. She was further stunned to realize that, at some point, her sudden bed mate was crawling up Shego's body within her smock!

"Ghaa!"

If the pale woman had still been attached to a life monitoring system, the nurses' station would have sounded like a Las Vegas casino by now. In a few seconds, when Shego was certain that the pounding of her heart must be audible from the entire building, the silent visitor reached Shego's face. Their eyes met and the red haired woman claimed Shego's mouth with her own.

Shego was too shocked for words, but then…

Then the fierce embrace was returned, with long pale limbs encircling the shorter woman's body. They twisted this way and that, several times coming very close to falling from the narrow bed. Shego felt a careful touch there… and there… and even a few bites, but nothing that would leave serious marks.

Eventually they broke the passionate embrace.

"The doctor," panted Kim Possible, "is in."

Shego laughed for the first time in what seemed an eternity, even before their latest adventure together.

"That... was amazing… and a little weird. I do not deserve you, Princess."

Kim sat up on the bed and began to repair her disguise. She made a show of primping and arranging her outfit, like a move star leaving the make up table.

"So not the drama. I used my mother's identity badge to get in."

"You mean you stole it?" Shego's jaw became slack. "You stole it!" Shego threw her arm over her eyes in mock sorrow. "My evil influence has corrupted the woman I love beyond redemption!"

Kim giggled and kissed Shego on the cheek.

"I came to help you pack your stuff. Then I'll stay the night. The girls are with Monique tonight and they only let me leave when I promised that I was bringing their Mom back with me. The front desk will have questions about how I got in here without signing in, but I can handle anything."

Shego was watching her wife as she spoke, and now had some words of her own to share.

"Kim, what I said a moment ago was true. I really don't deserve you."

Kim started to reply, but was silenced by a pale hand gently covering her mouth.

"For years my life was filled with hate; hate for Drakken, for my family, for the people I stole from, and hate for you. But now I know that the hate was for myself."

Tears begged to flow from Kim's eyes. She let them.

"Then here I am with a family of my own; someone who I'm very proud to call my wife and someone who bore the only children that I might ever have. I know that sometimes you feel trapped at home, and no one would blame you. Blame me because I was the one that trapped you."

Kim would stay silent no longer. "If this is a time for honesty, 'trapped' might be a little too strong a word for it."

"Maybe, Kimmie, but do you remember that morning in the kitchen? I said that I would lock you away in an ivory tower? Please understand that the only reason I say such things is because there is nothing more valuable to me than you." The tall, raven-haired woman was also crying freely. Tears do not hurt if they are out of love.

"When I get out of this room tomorrow, I am your slave for life. Your wish is my command. Do you want the Sun? Do you want the Stars? Say the word and they're yours. Or maybe a small island nation; then I could make you a Princess for real."

"How about the Moon? I'll take that."

From the way that her mate grabbed her, Kim wondered why everyone wanted to break her ribs.

"You've got it. And if you ever decide to take over the world, I've got your back."

"You are silly. Let's get some sleep."

There was some sleep that night, but not much. They could both tell that all wounds were healed nicely. They were both ready to return to the world above ground.

A month elapsed since Kim and Shego had their adventures in the underworld; home life had returned to normal and routines were reestablished. There was once tiny bit of mystery when Shego said that she had to disappear for a day. Kim wondered if it was some clandestine 'GJ' business, but Shego was home the next morning and didn't seem the worse for wear.

Kim had debated a 'Welcome Home' party for Shego, just as Kim's family had debated having one for Kim and Shego themselves. The only concern was the 'Shego Factor'; Shego was well known for being antisocial, but she surprised everyone by making her own suggestion that a party would be nice. She was very specific about the exact date that the party should be held.

Family and friends stopped by, including several Global Justice agents, and everyone had fun. The party ended in the late afternoon, but only because everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves and all were feeling tired and happy for the first time in many weeks. Kim and Shego cleaned up what little mess remained in the back yard and tucked their daughters in to bed.

There were always a few chaises set up in the back yard when the weather was decent and since there were still a few hours of daylight left, the women were determined to enjoy every last ray of sunshine.

"The perfect end to a perfect day, right baby?"

"Not perfect yet, Pumpkin."

"You having something more planned for this evening?"

"I seem to recall an offer to chase me around the sack. Still game?" Shego didn't move from the chaise, but her hand reached over to stroke Kim's thigh.

Once inside, they each took turns proving that their stamina levels were back up to full strength. Later that night, long after the sun had set and the moon had risen, Shego lifted the sleeping form of her young bride from their shared bed. She gently carried Kim outside and set her down.

"Kimmie, wake up."

Kim stirred, only slightly startled at finding herself outside. If Shego was with her, how bad could things be? Kim shivered in the night air, but Shego quickly wrapped a robe around her shoulders.

"What's the sitch?"

"Here… this is for you."

Shego turned Kim's head until she could see a dark framework standing in the middle of their backyard. It was about nine feet tall and had a large tubular extrusion pointed at the night sky.

"A telescope?"

"Not exactly. I have to return that to the observatory tomorrow. Go look through it."

Kim got to her feet and padded over to the device. It certainly was a telescope, a very large and powerful one. As she lowered her eye to the eyepiece, she could already see that it was pointed at the full moon. The familiar cratered surface of Earth's only satellite was very clear in the lens.

"Remember when you asked for the moon? Here it is; it's yours."

Kim looked back at where Shego stood.

"Thanks, I'll take it."

"No I mean it. It's yours."

Shego walked over and checked the settings on the digital tracking motor. Then she turned the magnification up to its highest level.

"Look at the north rim of the Plato crater, right above the Sea of Rains."

Confused, Kim looked again.

"What am I…oh… oh, no…SHEGO, you DIDN'T!"

"Guilty as charged."

"How?"

"Do you remember a plan to threaten the world by firing a laser at the Moon and reflecting it back to Earth y means of a series of parabolic mirrors? Well… it just so happens that I know where there is stashed another one of those lasers."

"Someone will see! Someone's going to notice eventually"

"Let them."

Kim looked again, wondering even now if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

There on the surface of the moon, carved in letters miles high that were still almost invisible except to those who knew where to look, were written the words...

KIM + SHEGO

There was silence once again in the sunless world beneath the surface.

The battle was over and hundreds of his children had perished so that the hive would be safe. He had been badly wounded, and pondered the cost of his victory.

It was the way of things.

When the Queen chose her suitors from the best of the warrior class, the two Kings would fight to the death for the right to be Sire. When the Leader had lost that duel so many years ago, he lost more than his arm; he had lost his genetic immortality.

Then the beasts came, ravaging thousands of his kindred and slaughtering warrior and drone alike. The Queen was in jeopardy and the hive faced extinction.

Less then a King but more than a General, the Leader had been permitted to contribute to the breeding of more warriors, the offspring of an unprecedented union between he and the Queen. In all of the recorded history of their hidden kind, there had never been a union other than between the Queen and the Sire… until now.

Left behind to guard the way of the retreating hive, the Leader and his children built a not-hive, an outpost to watch for the marauders and kill them if they followed. And they waited. They learned to raid the dwellings of the surface beings. These creatures of the light were very adept at making tools that could kill.

Then came the two not-Queens.

They had been weak and close to death, but so much like a Queen as to make his blood burn at the thought of abandoning them to the fates. Once made healthy, the one fought alongside him like ten warriors. He felt sorrow to see them leave, but glad in his heart to have helped them. There was a moment of dread when the Leader saw two beasts follow the not-Queens in pursuit, but then he saw the larger one die, its head blasted into fragments. There was little hope that the smaller beast would be of much danger, even as he watched it climb after them.

Now he was tired. The few children that survived helped him and their siblings to follow the ancient path towards the hive.

The Leader stopped. He had become aware of a change in the air of the tunnel. Something welcome, something desired…

He could smell the hive and it was close. Standing away from the offspring that had been assisting him, he began walking forward using only his battle spade as support. The rest, bolstered by his determination, followed closely behind. The future lay ahead of them and they would soon be in the loving arms of their Queen.

The End.

Author's Note: This is a rewritten version of what was my very first KimShego story. Written before I had any desire to continue writing, I found myself creating a broader and more elaborate storyline, all branching out from this tale in both directions. As my skills and technique 'improved', the old story just didn't fit anymore. So I cleaned it up and added a few special touches, but didn't mess with either the original theme or the original plot, which I admit to being quite proud of. I was very hard on Kim in 'TSBF' and I felt that she needed a little boost to her confidence. I hope that you will read and review and let me know how you feel this compares to the original. Thanx!


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